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(monographies) 


H 


CaiMdtan  InslMult  for  HMoricai 


MlMuiiHOCliicHoiM  /  InrtHm  cmwMtn  d«  iniciuii»radiictton«  N«terkni»« 


©1999 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibiiographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best  original 
copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this  copy  which 
may  be  bibliographically  unique,  which  may  alter  any  of 
the  Images  In  the  reproduction,  or  which  may 
significantly  change  the  usual  method  ol  filming  are 
checked  below. 

0 Coloured  covers  / 
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Covers  damaged  / 
Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated  / 
Couverture  restaurde  el/ou  pellicuWe 

Cover  title  missing  /  Le  litre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloufed  maps  /  Cartes  g*ographlques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)  f 
Encra  de  couleur     autie  qua  Ueue  ou  note) 

Cotoured  plates  and/or  Hustrattons  / 
Ptandws  et/ou  IRustrations  en  muleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
ReM  «v«e  d'autres  documents 

Only  editton  available  / 
Set4t  MHIon  dlsponiite 

0 Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  cfistortlon  ateng 
interior  margin  /  La  reliure  serrie  peut  causer  de 
I'ombre  ou  de  la  distorston  le  long  de  la  marge 
Int4rieure. 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restorations  may  appear 
wHhln  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these  have  been 
omitted  from  filming  /  Use  peut  que  certaines  pages 
blanches  ajout^es  lors  d'une  restauratlon 
apparalssent  dans  le  texte.  mais.  lorsque  eela  #tait 
poss^,  CCS  pages  n'oni  pas  iti  (ilmias. 


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L'Inslitut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire  qu'il  lui  a 
i\k  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details  de  cet  exem- 
plaire qiH  son!  peul-*tre  uniques  du  point  de  vue  blbli- 
ographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier  une  image  reproduite, 
ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une  modification  dans  la  m<tho- 
de  normale  de  fOmage  sont  indkiu^s  d-dessous. 

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I    I  Pages  detached/ Pages  d<tach«es 

I    j  Showihrough/ Transparence 

□ Quality  of  print  varies  / 
Quality  in^gale  de  I'impressten 


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Includes  supplementary  material  / 
Comprend  du  mat*riel  suppl*mentalre 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata  slips, 
tissues,  etc.,  have  been  returned  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  totalement  ou 
partiellement  obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une 
pelure.  etc..  ont  iMk  XiaM%  k  nouveau  de  fa^on  i 
obtertir  la  meiOetmi  knag*  possibla. 

Opposing  pages  with  varying  colouration  or 
discolouralions  are  filmed  twice  to  ensure  the  best 
possible  image  /  Les  pages  s'opposant  ayant  des 
colorattons  variables  ou  des  decolorations  sont 
{ilm«es  deux  lois  afn  d'oUenIr  la  meilleure  imag« 
possSiie. 


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Additional  comments  / 
Commenialres  suppl^menteires: 


Th!i  Htm  li  lUmttf  « »»»•  '•*««^  !!!!!^f?*''  . 


95,  26«  30x 


Tht  eopv  fitmtd  h«rt  hat  bMn  rtpreduetd  thanitt 
to  th«  fltnarotlty  of: 

Presbyterian  Church  In  Canada  Archivas 
Toronto 

Th«  Imagta  appaaring  han  ira  tha  bast  quality 
pottlbia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tho 
filming  contraat  apoeif ioatlefia. 


Original  copiaa  in  printod  popar  aovara  ara  filmad 
baginning  with  tha  front  eovar  and  anding  on 
tha  laat  paga  with  a  prlntad  or  illustratad  impraa* 
tion.  or  tht  bacli  covtr  whan  appropriata.  Ail 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  filmad  baginning  on  ttw 
first  paga  with  a  printad  or  illustratad  impraa* 
aion.  and  anding  on  th«  last  paga  with  a  printad 
or  Hlyatratad  Impraaalow. 


Tha  last  rtcordad  frama  on  aach  microflcha 
shall  contain  tha  symbol        (moaning  "CON* 
TINUEO").  or  tha  symbol  ▼  (mooning  "END"), 
whlehovor  opplioa. 

Maps,  platas.  charts,  ate,  may  ba  filmad  at 
diffarsnt  rtduction  rstios.  Thosa  too  larga  to  ba 
antlraly  included  in  ona  axposura  ara  filmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  laft  hand  comar,  laft  to 
right  and  top  to  bonom.  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diegrama  illuatrate  tha 
mattiod: 


L'exemplaira  film4  fut  reproduit  grice  A  la 
9^4roait4  do: 

•Presbyterian  Church  In  Canada  Archives 
Toronto 

Lea  imeges  suhrantea  ont  At*  reproduitas  avee  le 
plus  grand  soin.  eompta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nettet*  do  i'OKomplaira  film«,  et  en 
conformity  avoo  loa  oofiditiona  du  aontrat  da 
filmaga. 

Las  exemplelree  origlneux  dont  la  couvtrture  an 
papier  est  imprimis  sont  filmas  an  commencant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
darniare  page  qui  comporta  une  empreinte 
d'Impreasion  ou  d'lHuatratlon,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autres  axamplsiras 
originaux  sont  filmas  an  csmmencant  par  la 
pramiOre  page  qui  comporte  une  emprainte 
d'impreosion  ou  d'llluatration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darnMra  page  qui  eomporto  une  telle 
omprolmo. 

Un  des  symboleo  suivanta  apparaltra  sur  la 
derniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  salon  la 
cas:  la  symbole  — ^signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
aymbolo  ▼  ai«nifio  "PIN". 

Las  cartes,  pisnches,  tsbleaux.  etc..  peuvent  atre 
filmas  a  des  taux  da  reduction  diffarants. 
Lorsqua  le  document  eat  trap  grand  pour  atra 
reproduit  en  un  aoul  ellehO,  11  eat  filma  a  partir 
de  Tangle  suparieur  gauche,  de  gaucha  i  droita. 
et  de  haut  «n  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nacessaire.  Lea  diagrommea  suivanta 
illuatrant  la  mithodo. 


2 


3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Miorocorv  risouitiom  tbt  oukn 

(ANN  and  HO  TEST  CHMT  N>.  3) 


Sen  SktnAitB  in  tUe  psalms 


TEN  STUDIES 

IN  THE  PSALMS 


•r 

John  Edgar  McFadyen,  M.A.  (Glas.),  B.A.  (Oxon.) 

Profutor  of  Old  Ttstament  LiUraturt  and  Extguu, 
Knox  ColUgt,  Toronto 


*•  My  hope  ii  in  Thee, 
My  refuge  and  my  fortreM, 
Mjr  God,  in  whom  1  tnut." 

—(Ps.  xxxix,  j;  xci,g.) 


NEW  YORK 

YOUNG  MEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION  PRESS 

1907 


Coprr!|ht,  1907,  bjr 
THI  nmitNATIONAL  COMM»TTEt  OF 
YOUMO  tfnt't  CHUSTIAM  AISOCIATIOMS 


Contenti 

PA::b 

FurACi   

Study  I— The  First  I'salm 

I  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   .1 

2.  The  Character  and  Destiny  of  Good  Men   4 

J.  The  Fate  of  Bad  Men   5 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  (or  U»   6 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   7 

6  General  Questions   8 

7.  Persoiul  Questions  and  Poir.»s  lor  Considera- 
tion   9 

Snnv  II— The  Eleventh  Psalm 

I.  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   13 

3.  T>ie  Temptation  to  Cowardice   ...  14 

3.  The  Triumphant  Answer  of  Faith   15 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   16 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   I7 

6.  Personal  and  General  Questions   lif 

7.  Points  for  Consideration   19 

Smsr  III— The  I  wenty-third  Psalm 

I.  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   33 

a.  God  as  Shepherd   24 

3.  God  as  Host   25 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   36 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   27 

6.  Points  for  Consideration   38 

7.  Thoughts  and  Questions   3» 

SrCBV  W— The  Thirty-ninth  Psalm 

1.  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   33 

2.  The  Pathos  of  Life   34 

3.  The  Psalmist's  Prayer  for  Pity   35 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   36 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   37 

6.  Points  for  Consideration   38 

7.  Questions  for  Practical  Life  »   39 


I 


vl  CONTENTS 

PACB 


Study  V— The  Fokty-eighth  Psalk 

1.  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   43 

2.  The  City  of  the  Great  King   44 

3.  The  Appeal  to  Experience   45 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   47 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm.   49 

6.  Points  for  Qmsideration   50 

7.  Qtwttioiis   51 

Snnnr  VI — The  Forty-ninth  Psalm 

1.  The  Text  of  the  Ps.alm   55 

2.  The  Futility  of  Riches  at  Death   57 

3.  The  Prospects  of  the  Good  at  £>cath   58 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   59 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   60 

6.  Points  for  Consideration   61 

7.  Questions   63 

Sroinr  VII—The  Fifty-second  Psalm 

1.  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   67 

a.  The  Fate  of  Arrogance   68 

3.  The  Joy  of  the  Faithful   69 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   71 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   73 

6.  Points  for  Consideration   74 

7.  Questions   75 

Snn>T  VIII— The  Nintieth  Psalm 

1.  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   79 

2.  The  Brevity  and  Pathos  of  Human  Life   8t 

3.  Prayer  for  Restoration   83 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   85 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   87 

6.  Points  for  Consideration   88 

7.  Questions   go 

Study  IX — The  Ninety-first  Psalm 

1.  The  Text  of  the  Psalm   93 

2.  The  Security  of  the  Faithful   94 

3.  The  Triumph  of  the  Faithful   96 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  Us   98 

5.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm   100 

6.  Points  for  Consideration   toi 

7.  Questions   103 


'fl 

i 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 


1  Study  X-The  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Psalm  ^ 

I.  The  Text  of  the  INalin  


2  The  Joy  oi  Redemption  

3.  Hope  Looks  through  Tearful  Eyes   no 

4.  The  Message  of  the  Psalm  for  U- 


112 


S.  Paraphrase  of  the  Psalm  ■  

6  Questions  and  Points  for  Consideration   "4 

7.  tUenitvi  of  the  Ten  Psalms  Studied  


Preface 

Theke  n.  perhaps,  no  part  of  the  Old  Testament  which  speak,  so 
M„  ,"v  and  clirccly  to  the  universal  heart  as  the  Psaher.  V 
;;n\he  mo.t  fa>n,lK,r  p.ahn.  con^e  home  to  U.  -''h  '--^ ; 
f  eshness  and  power  when,  l.y  .ytupatlufc  >t«.ly,  we  li^'ve  t  avdul 
back  to  he  world  in  winch  the.r  wr.ters  ..oo.l.  and  learned  lo  look 
„on  it  with  their  eyes.    The  short  studas  .n  th.  vo hnne  n 
■n  utenint  to  interpret,  in  this  way.  a  few  of  the  psahn^  that  .Ua 
whl     Z  tant  aspJets  of  the  rel.gious  life,  and  to  show  the.r  ^ntal 
Sing  upon  the  l.fe  of  to-day.    In  the.r  «lo"''ts   struggles  and 
a  J^adon'  those  ancient  men  are  very  near  u.  and  U,ey  .pe^  > 
us  with  an  aceti-  .hat  is  strangely  modern.   I  have  ru.l  to  ,n 
"is  pTain       th.      arse  of  the  exposition,  and  to  .llu.trate  the.r 
kinshio  with  u>  bv  quotation  from  modern  writers. 

Th^tr^Ltmettt  of  the  psaln,s  here  .elected  is  expos.tory.  But 
wi  hout  being  didactic  or  honulet.c.   I  have  at  the  same  t.m 
roSt  to  make  it  practically  helpful,  by  gathering  up  the  >,ud> 
oach  ps-ilm  in  a  series  of  personal  questions,  which  are  nitend  d 
to  carry  the  reader  into  the  heart  of  the  psalm,  and  also  to 
enable  him  to  ^.a.ci,  h.>  own  inner  life.  n,,rlp«  Scrih- 

I  desire  here  to  express  my  oliligation  to  Messrs. 
ner's  Sons  for  their  generous  courtesy  in  alUnving  me  to  rM  n  -  . 
from  my  volume  on  The  Messages  of  the  Psahmstsjn  Uu-  M.s- 
,s  of  the  Bible  Scrks  (igaO.  the  paraphrase  of  the  psalms  here 


sag, 


selected  for  study.  ^^^^  ^  McFadven. 

Lake  of  Bays,  Muskoka,  August,  1907. 


ix 


STUDY  I 

deitcgiysite 


THE  FIRST  PSALM  ^ 

First  Day  :  Cbe  €nt  of  tDt  P^lm 

»       ...  r  has  walked  as  WKked 
O  how  abundantly  happy  .s  the  ma.  who  uc.cr  ha.  walked 

men  hav-  counselled. 
Nor  stood  m  the  way  fra,u.ntcd  by  sinners, 
lor  Uken  his  seat  in  a  sc.Mon  o   scoffers ; 

whose  delight  is  .n  the  fear  of  J^'--^ 
Xnd  who  broods  over  h.s  law  day  and  n.ght! 
He  is  hke  a  tree  planted  by  water-courses 
That  bnngs  fortli  us  fru.t  when  it  ts  due. 
And  its  leaves  do  not  wither ; 
All  that  he  does  he  brings  to  a  happy  end. 

Not  so  do  the  wicked  fare,  not  so; 
The  way  of  the  wicked  shall  perish. 


a.  Meditate  upon  it  careiuny  'T-,  Jt^i  ^nd  as  a  whole, 
unta  you  have  some  adequate  idea  of  it,  m  detail  ana  as 


4 


TES  sirDir.s  ix  tin:  r.s.ii  .vs 


Second  Day  :  Cbe  Cbaratttr  ana  C>titinp  of  tdooa  Jftm 
(Bnrm  13) 

I.   lUv  lir-^;  ps.iliii  Ik,ii  littiMKly  caliid  the  pmloRuc  to  the 

r>;ilttr,  an. I  a  ua-,  hy  a  happy  inspiration  that  tlui  psahii  was 
ihi.Mii  t.>  Hitr...ln,i  ilic  book.  In  the  I'salter  many  voices  are  heard 
—voices  of  doiil)t  and  sorrow— from  men  whose  faitli  wa^  si i  aim  . I 
and  whose  hearts  were  breaking;  fmm  nun  whose  "sup.  ha.l  vmII 
nigh  shpp.d"  (I's.  7M2).  and  \\li...se  son!  was  cast  d..wn  and  dis- 
.liii.tcd  within  tluni  (Ps.  42:  11).  The  llrst  psalm  is  the  answer,  by 
.  iiuipaiDn.  to  all  these  laments;  it  expresses  in  advance  the  assu- 
laiu-  tliat.  despite  all  seeming,  it  is  well  with  good  men,  and  that 
llu  ir  fortunes  are  watched  over  by  God. 

-'.  I  he  hrst  v.  rse  descrilus  the  RimhI  man  ncRati^viy;  the  secnn.l. 
positively:  the  third  is  a  picture  .)f  his  liright  .iestiny.'  The  opening 
word  in  the  Hebrew  ann.)unces  not  so  much  his  inward  blessedness 
as  his  outward  prosperity;  not  so  much  •  lllesscd"  as  "O  how  full  of 
happiness !"— the  happiness  being  more  particularly  described  by 
verses  3  and  6.  The  man  who  deserves  and  will  obtain  tliis  happi- 
ness is,  first  of  all,  he  who  refuses  t..  have  anything  to  do  with  bad 
uu  I  he  bad  men  whom  the  I'salmist  has  particularly  in  view  were 
probably  apostate  Jews,  who  had  come  under  the  influence  of  Greek 
cuhure,  and  turned  their  backs  upon  the  Jewish  faith.  The  three 
W0r«i  u.sed  to  describe  them  and  also  the  Psalmisfs  attitude 
U)wards  them  constitute  a  line  and  no  <lonbt  intcmional  climax. 
They  are  (i)  wicke.l  ..r  miKodly;  (2)  continual  and.  as  it  were 
professional  .sinners;  scoffers,  men  who  in  their  gathcrings- 
••clubs,"  we  might  abno.st  say-deliberately  ridicule  religion,  its  be- 
lie. Its  duties,  its  consolations,  its  adherents.  In  the  good  man's 
atti.ude  to  these  fatal  influences  there  is  a  similar  climax:  walking. 
stan.luiR.  sitluiR  each  act  more  .leliberate  than  the  last  These 
words  suggest  the  decline  and  fall  of  a  human  soul.  The  man  who 
<K  liber.iteIy  joins  a  club  of  those  who  meet  to  mock  at  religion  and 
deny  the  moral  order,  is  far  on  the  road  to  ruin  (verse  6). 

3.  As,  negatively,  the  good  man  avoids  bad  company,  so,  posi- 
tively, he  is  a  rehgi.ius  man;  -his  delight  is  in  the  fear  of  Jehovah" 
as  we  sh..ul<l  proliably  read;  and  he  nourishes  his  religious  life  on 
the  Scriptures-here  called  "the  law  of  Jehovah."  On  this  he  muses, 
meditates,  half  aloud  and  half  t..  himself,  by  day  when  he  is  at  work, 
and  at  night,  after  he  has  come  h.ime. 

4.  .Such  a  man  is  like  a  tree,  deep-rooted,  well-watered,  fruitful 
and  fair-  a  very  striking  picture  to  one  who  remembers  how  dry 
and  parched  was  much  of  the  land  of  Palestine.  Like  such  a  tree 
the  good  man  nourishes  in  all  his  enterprise. 


Tur:  FIRST  rsAUf 


5 


TuiKK  Day  :  Cbt  Jate  of  fiat  i«tn  (OtxMB  4  0) 

1.  The  Psalmist  gives  no  detailed  description  of  the  had  man  as 
he  li.nl  d>'iK-  '>f  tlu'  niHiil;  sucli  a  thtiiio  is  um-' >iiK>nial.  He  describes 
lidt  the  man's  cliar.al'  r.  Iml  hi^  t.itc.  And  Uv  li<Kin>  with  a  solemn 
and  cniphatic  negative;  "ti"!  lure  llie  wuke.l  "  After  hi>  l.>\ily 
description  of  the  green  and  irintlul  tree,  he  cDntiiiues  with  an  almost 
terrible  simplicity— the  fate  of  the  wicked  is  not  like  that ;  no  such 
destiny  is  in  store  for  them. 

2.  riiey  are  imt  like  the  tree,  hut  they  are  like  the  chaff.  What 
a  contrast!  llie  tree.  MiU^tantial  ;'ii(l  fruitfiil;  the  elialT,  emiity  .iii.l 
useless.  But  the  particular  contrast  in  the  INalmi^t's  mmd  i-.  be- 
tween the  permanence  of  the  one  and  the  transience  of  tl\e  other. 
The  tree  stands,  not  only  fair  because  fed  from  the  waters,  but  tirm 
because  deep-rooted  in  the  Rroiind ;  the  chatT  is  driven  to  and  fro 
l.y  the  wind.  As  the  tree  >l.iiiil>  when  tlie  winds  tie-in  t.i  blnw,  so 
sliall  the  righteous  stand  when  the  judgment  comes;  hut  not  tlie 
wicked— they  shall  be,  as  it  were,  blown  like  the  chaff  from  off  the 
face  ui  the  world.  By  the  judgment  the  Psalmist  does  not  mean 
one  of  the  many  great  crises  in  hi'tory.  though  there  would  Ik-  a 
krge  measure  of  truth  in  saying  that  in  the-e  ■,iKce---ive  judgments 
the  wicked  do  not  stand;  rather  he  is  thinking  of  the  great  Mes- 
sianic judgment,  which  was  to  purge  the  earth  of  the  wicked,  ind 
leave  the  "congregation  of  the  righteous"  unvcxed  and  untainted 
by  their  presence. 

J.  The  psalm  closes  with  the  assurance  that  the  <lestinies  of  nun 
are  determined  by  God.  He  is  inttresttd  in.  't  inditTereiit  to,  the 
moral  attitude  of  men;  and  so  he  knows,  that  is.eontinually  cares  for. 
watches  over,  the  way  that  the  righteous  go— and  that  is  an  ever- 
lasting way  (Ps.  130:24):  while  he  will  see  to  it  that  the  way  of 
the  wicked  shall  die  out  upon  the  path  of  lii-tory.  as  the  tracks  of 
the  caravan  wheels  die  out  upon  the  desert  sands  (cf  Job  h:  iS). 
The  last  verse  sums  up  the  whole  psalm,  hut  the  emphasis  fall>  par- 
ticularly on  the  last  clause,  as  the  latter  half  of  the  psahn  is  dealing 
with  the  fate  of  the  wicked ;  hence  the  translation  on  page  j. 


6 


7/;.v  sJUDii-s  ix  Tin:  rs.ti..vs 


FoLRTii  Day  :  Cdr  JScwair  of  tht  pulm  for  «3i 

I.  There  arc  many  incidental  suggestions  of  much  interest  and 
iiiiporiaiKi'  in  tlic  p^'ulin.  mkIi  a^  tin  gradual  dcclini  of  a  soul  that 
has  enttri'il  upon  tiic  i)ath  of  wick*  dm  ss;  but  two  thougiits  stand 
imt  above  all  the  others:  that  the  dilTercnce  in  the  characters  of 
men  will  be  matched  by  a  difference  in  their  destinies,  and  that  the 
»tudv  of  Scripture  must  be  an  clement  in,  ns  it  is  a  support  of,  the 

good  liu'. 

J.  I  lie  Psalmist  docs  not  recognize  shades  of  distinction  in  human 
character;  he  divides  men  sharply  into  two  classes,  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked.  And  he  a'.irms  that  tlie  former  prosper  while  the 
latter  perish ;  if  that  be  not  obvious  now,  if  in  the  mea:.'  'ne  sinners 
lid  -land  in  the  lonKn'Bation  of  the  righteous,  at  any  rate  it  will  be 
obvious  enough  in  the  judgment.  The  I'salniisi  has  no  doubt  about 
that :  the  wind  cannot  blow  away  the  tree,  but  it  can  and  will  most 
certainly  blow  away  the  chatT.  Kven  apart  from  the  Psalmist's 
thought  of  the  final  Messianic  judgment,  there  is  a  profound  and 
va!u:ii>le  thought  in  tlie>e  simple  comp.irisoiis  with  the  tree  and  the 
cliatT.  It  is  this:  goodness  is  pernianent.  it  stands  as  part  of  the 
eternal  order,  watched  over  and  conserved  by  God;  evil  is  imperma- 
nent, there  can  be  no  ultimate  place  for  it  in  the  universe  of  God. 
The  Psalmist  is  very  earnest  about  this ;  he  states  it  graphically 
twice;  once  in  comparing  the  wicked  to  chaff  that  is  blown  hither 
and  thither  (wickedness  has  no  nxit  in  the  universe),  and  again,  in 
asserting  that  the  way  of  the  wicked  dies  out.  The  Psalmist  pic- 
torially  suggests,  rather  than  definitely  teaches,  that  goodness  is  the 
pathway  to  eternal  life,  while  wickedness  is  the  sure  road  to  oblivion 
in  the  ultimate  count  of  things. 

3.  One  mark  of  the  good  man  is  an  earnest  and  continual  study 
of  the  Scriptures,  W  hen  this  psalm  was  written,  probably  a  very 
large  part  of  the  Old  Testament  was  already  in  existence ;  but,  if  we 
may  judge  by  the  nineteenth  and  the  one  hundred  and  nineteenth 
psalms,  the  writer  was  thinking  more  particularly  of  the  law— what 
we  now  call  the  Pentateuch.  It  is  very  significant,  however,  that 
the  study  of  the  Scriptures,  whether  in  larger  or  smaller  compass, 
is  the  one  positive  mark  of  the  good  man  mentioned  in  the  psalm. 
By  this  he  lives.  Scripture  plays  the  same  part  in  his  life  and 
growth  as  the  water  in  the  life  and  growth  of  the  tree  that  is  planted 
by  the  water-courses.  As  the  life-giving  water  brings  out  the  leaves 
and  fruit  upon  the  tree,  so  Scripture  brings  beauty  and  fruitfttlness 
into  the  life  of  tb*  man  who  muses  upon  it  day  and  night 


THIi  PtRST  PSAIM 


7 


Fifth  Hav  ;  Parapbrast  o[  tbt  p«atm 

The  truly  happy  man  is  he  who  never  en,  .red  on  the  perilous  path 

of  giMllts-ncvs— that  path  which  begins  iit  dallying  with  t-vil,  an.'. 
lt;i(l>  by  "■urc  >tiii>  to  tin-  deliberate  scorn  of  reliRion.  But  his  lieart 
is  set  upon  the  Si'ri;iiiircs.  atid  omt  thi'iii  lu'  hroods  coiitiiniallv. 
The  destiny  of  such  an  unc  ici  bright — like  a  tree,  fruitful  and  fair, 
with  roots  that  are  nourished  by  water  from  the  rivulets,  and  leaves 
that  never  fade.  All  that  he  docs  he  brings  to  a  happy  issue. 

Far  other  is  the  destiny  of  the  godless.  Tluy  are  light  as  the 
chaff  blown  abo\it  hy  tlie  wind;  and  when  tlie  wind.s  of  judgituiit 
begin  to  blow,  they  shall  not  be  able  to  keep  their  feet,  nor  shall  tliey 
have  any  place  in  the  assembly  of  the  righteous.  For.  while  Jehovah 
watches  over  the  way  that  the  righteous  takes,  the  way  of  the  godless 
vanishes  out  of  sight. 

Explain  to  yourself  every  p!irase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly  mod- 
em and  unconventional  language. 

The  success  of  your  effort  will  be  best  tested  by  writing  a  para- 
phrase of  your  own. 


8 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  I'SALMS 


Sixth  U.w  :  <0niml  QwitilM 

1.  What  is  the  ideal  of  piety  in  this  psalm? 

i.  Do  you  consider  this  ideal  exhaustive?  H  not,  bow  WOOld  JfOM 

supplrnicnt  it? 

3.  lis  the  study  of  Scripture  essential  to  piety? 

4.  Which  Scriptures  contribute  tr.ost  ? 

5.  If  to  the  Psalmist  the  law  of  Cod  was  pre-eminently  the  PenU- 
teuch,  and  in  particular  its  "precepts  and  stattrtes"  (cf.  Pi.  lip:  4t  5)t 

in  wli  it  p,irt>  »loc>  tliat  1  iw  1 ,  (.five  it^  !:iRhcst  expression? 

6.  How  far  i.x  the  corropnndiiKi  liciwtcn  the  character  and  for- 
tunes "f  nun  iihsiTvahle  in  tins  world? 

7.  U  hat  is  the  ground  for  the  general  belief  in  its  ultimate  exact 
correspondence? 

S.  ••  Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusletli  in  Jehovah,  and  whose  trust 
Jehovah  is.  ile  shall  be  like  a  tree  planted  by  the  waters,  that 
spreadeth  out  its  roots  by  'he  river.  Its  leaf  shall  be  green,  and  it 
shall  not  cease  from  yielding  fruit."   (Jeremiah  17:  7.  8.) 

Assuming  that  there  is  a  literary  connection  between  this  passage 
and  f.ie  psalm,  contrast  the  types  of  piety  presented  by  both — the 
one  rooted  in  trust  on  God.  the  other  in  a  study  of  the  Scriptures. 
Is  there  my  necessary  incompattbilky  between  them? 


THE  FIRST  PSALM 


9 


Seventh  Day  :  fltraonal  (QustifU  Wt  9<t>l*  ^ 
Conittttation 

1.  What  is  vnur  ptrsoual  attitude  to  influcnci-s  that  arc  perilous 
to  yoar  moral  life? 

2.  Do  you  gladly  embrace  every  opportunity  for  the  study  of 
Scripture? 

.1.  W  hat  has  your  previous  study  of  the  Scripture  done  for  your 

moral  and  rcligioub  life? 

4.  As  you  consider  your  life-history  thus  far,  can  you  point  to 
evidence  that  God  watches  over  the  way  that  you  take? 

r  If  one  whose  Bible  was  only  part  of  the  Old  Teatamtnt  regarded 

the  study  of  it  as  a  matter  of  such  high  and  serious  importance,  how 
much  more  loving  and  earnest  should  our  stuily  l)e  who  have  a  New 
Tcstainent  as  well  as  an  Old,  with  its  wonderful  story  of  Jesus,  with 
its  great  words  of  inspiration  and  consolation,  with  its  Luke  15, 
John  14,  I  Corinthians  13,  Revelations  23. 

6.  "The  first  psalm  may  be  said  to  bestow  a  blessing  on  the  liter- 
ary study  of  the  Bible."—/?.  G.  Moultun,  Literary  Study  of  the 
Bible,  ch.  vi. 

7.  "A  man's  character  is  by  far  the  most  important  part  of  his 
destiny."— Joseph  McFadyen. 

8.  '  At  first  sight,  nothing  can  well  appear  more  unnatural  and 
defiant  of  all  fact  than  this  dual  clasiilication  [into  only  two  classes, 
of  good  and  bad,  friends  and  enemies  of  (iodl.  Tlu  moment  you 
attempt  to  apply  it  to  acttial  persons,  and  to  walk  through  the  world 
parting,  as  you  go,  the  sheep  from  the  goats,  you  perceive  how  little 
it  answers  to  any  apparent  reality,  and  how  shocking  the  effect  would 
Ik  of  running  it  sharply  through  life.  The  varieties  of  character, 
and  the  degrees  of  faithfulness,  are  infinite,  and  are  discriminated 
from  each  other  by  the  finest  shades.  •  *  *  Yet,  strange  to  say, 
this  doctrine,  seemingly  so  harsh  in  itself  and  so  impossible  to 
confront  with  experience,  lias  by  no  means  been  a  mere  favourite 
with  the  rude  multitufi-;  it  has  had  the  most  powerful  hold  of  mimls 
capacious,  philosophical,  harmonious,  devout,  and  has  rarely  failed 
to  throw  its  awful  shadow  across  the  holiest  souls.  Evaded  and 
explained  away  by  mediocre  men  and  in  rationalistic  times,  it  is 
Razed  at  with  full  f.ice  by  a  Plato,  a  Dante,  a  Milton,  a  Pascal ;  and 
surely  has  no  ambiguous  expression  in  the  records  of  our  faith. 
How  is  this  contradiction  to  be  resolved?  I  reply:  by  turning  from 
the  outward  to  the  inward  look  of  moral  fvH,"—Marhneau,  Types 
of  Ethical  Theory,  Book  II,  ch.  I  :ii  (4)- 


THE  ELEVEXTIi  PS  ILM 


13 


IMKST  D\y:  Cbe  Ctrt  of  tbe 

In  Jehovah  have  I  taken  rifugi  : 

How  can  ye  say  to  me. 

"FUc  to  the  nioiintain>  like  a  bird? 

For.  sof!  the  wiikcd  arc  iKiidinR  the  bow. 

They  have  fixed  their  arrow  on  the  striiiR. 

To  shoot  in  the  dark  at  the  iijirinht  in  heart. 

When  the  foundations  arc  heinn  torn  down, 

What  has  the  righteous  accomplished?" 

Jehovah  is  in  hi-  holy  temple. 

Jehovah— his  throne  is  in  heaven, 

His  eyes  behold  the  world, 

His  eyelids  test  the  children  of  men. 

Jeh  nali  tests  the  riKlitcous  and  the  wicked. 

The  lover  of  violence  he  li;\tr-  from  hi-  -onl. 

He  will  rain  upon  the  wicked  coals  of  tire  and  brimstone. 

A  scorching  wind  shall  be  the  portion  of  their  cup. 

For  Jehovah  is  righteous:  rishteous  deeds  he  loveth: 
The  upright  shall  behold  his  face. 

Commit  the  psalm  to  memory  in  any  ver^^ion  you  please. 
Meditate  upon  it  carefully,  and  without  the  aid  of  books,  until 
have  Gome  adequate  idea  of  it,  in  detail  and  as  a  whole. 


14  TEN  STUDIES  IS  THE  PSALMS 

Second  Day  :  Cftt  Cmptatimi  to  Cotoartin  (Smnt  1.3) 

1.  This  powerful  little  psalm  is  no:  fropirly  understood  until  it  is 
rccofftiized  that  the  first  three  verse^  constitute  the  cowardly  advice 
Riven  by  lu\  >uiiii.>rters  to  some  man  of  faith,  while  the  rest  of  the 
psahn  is  his  triumphant  answer.  \Vc  have  no  means  of  ascertaining 
the  historical  occasion  of  the  psalm ;  all  we  know  is  that  the  situation 
is  desperate.  Society  is  being  -huk>  n  to  its  foimdatioiis :  its  worthier 
members,  "the  upright  in  heart,"  are  losing  hope;  their  opponents 
are  pow(  rliil,  i  riiel  and  treacherous. 

2.  Hut  there  is  one  brave,  nrong  man,  who,  amid  welter  and 
confusion,  stands  firm  as  a  rock,  and  repudiates  wiai  indignation 
the  faithless  and  cowardly  counsel  of  his  supporters.  The  source 
and  basis  of  his  confidence  he  expresses  m  the  very  first  word  of  his 
innf.  s-iim:  "/„  .lrlio:\,l,  hnw  I  taken  refuge."  That  was  why  he 
scorned  to  ilee.  as  he  was  urged,  to  the  mountains,  like  a  bird.  For 
cetiinries  the  mountains  had  been  the  refuge  of  the  persecuted;  but 
the  P.salmist  stood  his  ground,  hecarse  he  felt  himself  already  secure 
in  his  God.  Flight  would  have  meant  infidelity.  Even  the  graphic 
inctiire  of  the  cruel  and  treacherous  designs  of  his  enemies  is  power- 
less to  m.ike  him  swerve  from  his  post  or  his  God.  For,  seel  the 
wicked  have  their  bow  and  arrow  ready  to  let  drive  at  his  honest 
heart;  but  look  again!  Jehovah  is  in  his  heaven--,  and  the  Psalmist 
is  sure  that  he  will  protect  the  man  who  puts  his  trust  in  him. 

X  The  I.ivt  appeal  of  the  cowards  is  the  subtlest  of  all.  They 
point  out  tiiat  the  foundations,  the  pillars  of  social  law  and  order, 
are  alrea.iy  being  torn  down,  and  a.sk  their  steadfast,  righteous  chief, 
W'ith  sad  earnestness,  what,  after  all,  his  righteousness  has  enabled 
him  to  accomplish.  The  world  is  tumbling  to  pieces,  and  he  can 
.  Illy  succeed  in  being  buried  beneath  the  ruins.  So  far  was  right- 
eousnfss  from  being  victorious  that  it  had  not  even  been  able  to 
avert  disaster. 


1 1 


THE  ni.r.VtlSTII  PSAUl  IS 

Third  Day:  Cbc  Cr  ^pbant  aneiotr  of /aitK8'W« 

,  The  secret  of  the  r-alnuM  s  suadfa>tnc<s  is  to  be  found  in  the 
firn  word  of  his  an.^wer  to  the  cowardly  pKa  for  thght.  It 
u'hovah.  twice  repeated.  He  lifts  his  eyes  from  earth  to  heave.u 
frotti  the  Nv.ckcd  with  their  bows  bent  and  arrows  strung,  to  his  God 
;  above  the  vexation^  a,ul  confuMons  nf  this  world.  S.ts  secure 
upon  h>s  heavenly  throne,  intently  watclung  all  that  goes  on  below 
and  ready  to  wield  his  terrible  power  in  defence  of  the  outraged 

iiuiral  order.  , 

2  'uod  IS  not  indifferent  or  blind,  as  persecuted  men  may 
ton.pted  to  st,ppose;  -Ins  eyes  heh-M."    And  not  '"erely  bclK>ld 
hut  narrowly  behold-"h.s  eyelid,  .crutnnze.  te>t.  the  children  o 
men"   Yes.  Jehovah-for  the  third  time-tests  the  niihteou.  and 
the  waked.    He  docs  not  merely  see.  he  cares;  how  deeply,  will  he 
.,c,i  from  the  passion  with  which  he  loves  and  rewards  the  one 
(verse  7),  and  hate>  and  destroys  tlie  other  (verses  $.  VVe 
must  not  forget  that  we  are  readint;  the  Old  re>tament. 

■K  The  last  two  vers.;  describe  in  graphic  terms  the  dcstmy  re- 
served for  both.  The  fate  of  the  wicked  shall  be  like  that  which 
ovcrtf>ok  Sodom-fire  and  brimstone  (Gen.  19:24).  Jehovah  is 
lord  .^f  the  elements,  and  from  his  throne  in  the  heavens  he  wi 
pour  down  his  fiery  rain  npon  the  ev,l-do.  rs;  the  glowing  wind  wjU 
be  their  portion-here  poetically  repre..nte<l  as  a  .Iraushi  to  be 
drnnk.  So  the  Psalmist's  faith  is  justified.  His  God  was  the 
mightv  wiclder  of  lightning  and  thunder,  fire  and  wind;  why  then 
should  he  fear  the  miserable  bows  and  arrows  of  his  puny  oppo- 

God  is  pledged  by  his  very  nature  thus  to  defend  the  moral 
order:  for  he  is  righteoHS,  and  therefore  necess;  ^ves  drcds  of 
rhhu-ousiu-ss,  whether  we  are  to  understand  b;  the  deeds  ot 

the  men  who  are  faithful  t..  him,  or  hi-  -.^n.  1  es  to  see  mef 
do  them,  and  he  loves  to  do  thetu  hin,s.lf.  So  ,nst  as  surely  as 
he  will  punish  the  wicked,  will  he  rewar,l  tin-  good;  and  t,.e  rewar<l 
will  take  the  form  of  a  vision  of  himself.  It  is  not  said  how  he 
will  manifest  himself:  the  idea  may  be  that  in  the  defeat  of  the 
wK-kcd  and  the  triumph  of  the  goo,l,  those  who  have  eyes  to  see 
may  behold  God  himself.  He  reveals  himself  conspicuously  in  the 
crises  of  history. 


i6  THX  Sn-Dir.S  L\  THE  PSALMS 

Foi  R TH  Day  :  (Tbe  fRttBist  of  tht  psalm  for  B» 

X.  This  too  liitic  kiio«n  psalm  strikingly  illustrates  the  intimate 
connnt.on  between  courage  and  faith.  The  Psalmist  refuses  to 
"ee.  because  he  knows  that  he  is  safe  where  he  is.  He  rifii.es  to 
be  terrific^  by  the  powerful  and  treacherous  assauhs  of  eartli,  because 
he  knows  that  he  can  c  unt  o,,  tin  invisihle  resource  s  of  hiaven 

2.  Convcrsely.cowardice  is.  in  tlie  last  analysis,  a  lack  of  confidence 
n.  (.o,i.  I  he  coward  is  one  who  has  no  vision  of  God  upon  his 
throne.  1  he  sight  of  the  deadly  arrow  upon  the  bow-string  strikes 
a  cli.ll  mto  his  he.-.-*  because  he  has  no  deep  faith  that  the  destinies 
of  men  are  m  the  ..„ds  of  God.  Ih-  runs  l.ecau.se  he  cannot  stan<l ; 
he  cannot  stan.l  because  he  has  no  sense  of  divine  support.  As  his 
rrfMRe  IS  „o,  ,n  the  invisible  Go.i.  he  must  find  it  in  some  visible 
thing,  like  the  mountains.  To  abandon  one's  po.st  is  therefore,  in  one 
aspect  to  abandon  one's  faith  in  God.    Cowardice  is  faithlessness. 

3.  The  foundations  of  tlie  world  are  well  and  deeply  laid  and 
there  need  be  no  fear  of  their  nltimate  destruction.  God  is  in 
heaven  watching  and  guiding  the  great  historical  movements,  bring- 
ing order  out  of  confusion,  and  quiet  after  storm.  What  therefore 
are  bows  bent  by  the  wicked  and  arrows  set  upon  the  string  for 
their  cruel  flight  to  him  on  whose  sui.  fights  the  God  of  the  storm? 
What  IS  the  darkness  that  seems  to  shield  schemes  of  wickedness 
to  h.n.  on  whom  streams  light  from  God's  own  face?  What  is  the 
seeming  shattermg  of  foundauons  to  him  wboae  foundation  is  God? 


THE  r.j.nvr.KTU  psalm  »7 

Fifth  Day  :  parapbraat  of  tbt  |)calai 

My  God  is  mv  rcfiiR.-.  Why  then  do  yo  tell  me  to  flee,  like  a 
hinl  for  refuge  to  the  hills?  Ye  seek  to  mnk.-  n,e  '^^^-  J^^^^;^: 
I^.ok  ve  tell  mc.  the  godless  are  just  about  to  shoot.  Ihiv  arc 
l,,,„h'nK  their  bow.  Their  arrow  already  on  the  stntiR,  to  he 
sccrc.lv  ^hot  at  the  t.pvight.  The  pillars  of  law  and  order  are  being 
torn  down;  and  what  has  the  good  ,nan.  for  all  his  virtue,  been  able 

to  accomplish  ?  „  ■  r-^- 

Such  is  your  cowardly  speech;  but  it  does  not  afTnght  .ne.  For 
r-.-  God  is  just  and  omnipotent;  he  sits  enthroned  in  his  heavenly 
..[hce  His  eves  wander  over  the  earth:  he  watches  and  weighs 
,he  deeds  of  men-of  the  good  and  the  bad  alike:  and  to  each  he 
will  give  his  due  reward.  With  the  champions  of  wrong,  whom  he 
^;„cs^  he  will  deal  as  he  dealt  with  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  ram ing 
of  nre  and  brimstone  upon  them,  and  pursuing  them  with  the 

l,,,t  l>reath  of  the  desert  wind.  .    ,  -^i  «  i  T.l.»..h 

But  a  gracious  destiny  awaits  the  upright;  for  the  «««^»» 
loves  to  show  himself  faithful,  and  for  reward  they  shall  behold  his 
face. 

Explain  to  yourself  every  phrase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly  mod- 
ern and  unconventional  language.  . 

The  success  of  your  effort  will  best  be  tested  by  writing  a  para- 
phrase of  your  own. 


18  TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 

Sixth  Dav:  flcnmul  int  0rMrtl  ®«tftwiw 

r  Have  >ou  ever  bven  confronted  with  the  tempution  to  coward- 
ice r   if  so,  how  have  you  met  it? 
2.  Y..U  conft>.   ,n   church:   "I    believe  in  God    the  Father 

Almijihty.     !),>  y,,ii  rcaily  k-lii-vc  this? 

3  U  lK.1  rs  3„„r  attitude  to  malicious  or  treacherous  opposition? 

A.  Js  there  any  element  in  the  i-.tu.nal  or  mternatiunal  >,tnatio.i 
o-day  that  tends  to  shake  your  fa.th?  If  so.  i„  what  direction 
«ould  y„u  Jock  for  the  strengthening  of  that  faith' 

5^  I-ro.n  your  knowledge  of  history,  ancient  or  modern,  show  how 
such  a  conhdcnce  as  the  Psalmist  had  has  been  justified. 


IHli  ELEVENTH  PSALM  »9 

Skventh  Dav;  pomU  for  Cowrtewtwn 

1  "If  the  foundations  be  destroyed,  what  can  the  righteoM  do?" 
question  of  the  Authorized  Vcrs.on-truc  to  the  sprrrt. 
though  w,t  to  the  letter,  of  the  Hcbrew-.s         ^".""f 'f,^^!'^,'^ 
by  good  men  who  are  afraid  of  the  progress  of  B.b  ical  c hum 
and  other  supposedly  dangerous  tendences  of 
thought;  but  note  that  xl  is  a  coward's  quesMn.  The  true  man  o» 
faith  has  his  answer  ready : 

"Jehovah  is  in  his  holy  temple, 
Jehovalv— his  throne  is  in  heaven." 
a  "I  will  build  my  church;  and  the  gates  of  Hades  shall  not 

^Tt^;:;^o^w;^!''C:;h^•sliend.  most  eamestly  entreated 
hini  to  return.  "1  will  go  on."  he  said,  •  tl.ough  tl.crc  were  as  many 
devils  set  against  me  as  there  are  red  tiles  on  yonder  house.. 

A  "A  safe  stronghold  our  God  is  still, 

A  trusty  shield  and  weapon."— Lut^W. 

e  "God's  in  his  heaven— 

All's  right  with  the  world."— SrtfW»«««. 

It  is  easy  to  bd'eve  this,  when 

"The  year's  at  the  spring 
And  day's  at  the  mom; 

Morning's  at  seven ; 
The  hill-side's  dew-pearled; 
The  lark's  on  the  wing; 
The  snail's  on  the  thorn." 

But  the  true  test  of  faith  is  that  one  should  still  cherish  this  belief, 
Sl^tJe  wickld  are  bending  their  bow  and  have  set  tlieir  arrow 
upon  the  string,  to  shoot  in  the  dark  at  the  upright  m  heart. 


STUDY  III 


THE   nVESTY  THIHI>  1'^  ll.M 


33 


First  Day  :  Cbr  €nt  if  tbe  9mI« 

Jehovah  is  shiphcrding  iiu- :  I  want  lor  nothing. 

In  grauy  pastures  he  makes  me  Uc  down; 

To  waters  of  rest  he  guides  mc. 

He  restores  my  soul. 

IK-  leads  mc  in  patlis  that  are  straight. 

For  hi'^  name's  sake. 

Yes :  though  I  walk  through  «  vale  of  deep  i^oon. 

I  will  fear  no  ill ; 
For  Thou  art  with  roe, 
Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff— 
They  are  my  comfort. 

Thou  prepares!  a  table  before  me 

In  the  presence  of  ray  foci. 

Thou  hast  anointed  my  head  with  oil. 

My  cup  runneth  over. 

Surely  goodness  and  kindness  shall  pursue  roe 
All  the  days  of  my  life ; 
And  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of  Jehovah 
Tbrottghoot  the  length  of  days. 

Commit  the  psalm  to  memory  in  any  version  you  please. 
Meditate  upon  it  carefully,  and  without  the  aid  of  books, 
have  some  adequate  idea  of  it,  in  detail  awl  as  a  wLde. 


24 


7  EX  STL  Dir.S  /.V  7///:  I'S.  U.MS 


SixoM)  D.w  :  0oB  a>  *tfp6frl>  (lUrBM  1.4) 

r.  Tin-  quii't  hiauty  niul  Minplnity  of  this  psalin  arc  apt  to  hide 
fn.ni  11^  i!-  rial  ranpc  and  depth.  Its  vvrittT  knew  of  grassy  pas- 
tiiris  and  le  tful  wattTS ;  but  he  had  also  enemies  to  face,  and  he 
knew  w  hat  it  was  to  walk  through  valleys  of  gloom.  It  was  not  for 
nf.ihitiR  that  the  rod  was  in  the  shepherd's  hand:  it  was  to  biat 
off  the  a-^saults  that  threatened  the  peace  and  the  life  of  his  sheep. 
Mic  i>r-  ih.ii  hcluld  will)  sw<-it  sati>faoti(in  the  rod  and  the  staff 
i:,ic!  nti,ii  looked  upon  trouble;  and  the  consolation  was  real  because 
the  -orK)\\  had  liccn  real. 

2.  The  r.salniist  knows  life,  its  struggles  and  its  gloom,  its  perils 
of  the  darkness  and  its  perils  from  the  foe;  but  he  is  alile  to 
.sing  us  hi-  iiiiiin irlal  sour,  heeau-e  he  al-o  knows  God.  Me  thinks 
of  himself— in  iniuKery  lotig  familiar  to  Israel— as  a  silly  sheep,  apt 
to  wander  away  upon  devious  and  dangerous  paths,  hungering  for 
the  green  grass  and  thirsting  for  the  fresh  water,  and  losing  himself 
at  times  in  deep  and  gloomy  ravines.  But  lie  thinks  of  his  Cod  as 
his  SheplKTil.  who  knows  where  the  straight  paths  lie,  and  who 
l.-iiiBrs  hnn  out  upon  them;  who  knows  where  the  grass  and  the 
w.iier  are.  and  who  gently  guides  him  up  to  them.  The  wilderness 
of  life  has  its  sweet  refreshing  spots:  the  good  Shepherd  will  lead 
his  sheep  thither,  and  there  he  will  make  them  lie  down,  to  rest  and 
refresh  themselves. 

X  But  men,  like  sheep,  need  more  than  food  and  rest.  In  the 
gloomy  ravines  there  lurks  danger:  robbers  and  wild  beasts  are  ever 
ready  to  pounce  upon  their  helpless  and  unsuspecting  prey,  and  the 
poor  sheep  needs  protection.  This  she  finds  in  her  shepherd,  who 
not  only  i)rovi<l,  --  fop  her  nee.l,  but  is  her  defence  against  attack. 
Hie  danger  may  be  real,  but  so  is  the  shepherd.  "Thou  art  with 
me."  And  the  shepherd  is  as  powerful  as  he  is  tender;  for  he 
c  rries  in  his  hand  a  great  oak  club  to  beat  nfT  the  wild  Iwasts 
Even  to-day  "many  adventures  with  wild  beast «  occur,  not  unlike 
th.-it  r.H-onnte.l  l.y  l)a\i.l  C  i  S.mi  I7:.!4,5'  >:  for  though  there  are 
ixnv  no  lu.n-  here,  iliere  .ire  wolves  in  abundance;  and  leopards  and 
!Miithers.  exceeding  (ierc( .  prowl  about  these  wild  wadies.  They  not 
1.11  frequently  attack  the  flock  in  the  very  presence  of  the  shepherd. 
:'n(l  he  must  be  ready  to  do  battle  at  a  moment's  warning."— 
(  / /i. >))!.<,. 11.  The  Land  and  the  Hook.)  The  sfatT  is  different  from 
the  rod:  on  it  the  shepherd  leans;  with  it  in  various  ways  he  helps 
his  sheep.  So  il.at  rod  and  st:itT  tognher  symbolize  the  power  and 
the  affection  of  the  dixiite  Shepherd.  Well  might  the  Psalmist  point 
to  thetn  wilh  priilt  and  gladness,  and  say:  "They  are  my  consola- 
tion." 


THE  Tin-.X  I  y  TUINI'  I'S.UM 


25 


Third  Day  :  t5oll  as  hoot  (UtrBfa  3.  6) 
I  In  the  first  part  of  the  i»alm  (i..<l  w.i.  \\w  s!„  pl„  r.i,  and  man 
was  a  sheep.  But  man  is  more  than  a  shi^i'  He  \vl„>  can  lo.^k  up 
„„o  tho  face  of  C.d  and  say.  "Th,;,  art  with  m.-."  i--  ("id's  friend: 
and  whether  tlie  figure  of  God  as  shrphcrd  be  retained  in  the  second 
half  of  the  psalm  or  no.  at  any  rate  the  Psahnist  describes  himself 
in  more  human  and  less  pa^torai  term-. 

"  He  is  a  man  who  has  cncmies-hnnt.  d  v.  '.  n  l  -!v  l.y  the  M—d- 
avenger  aeross  tlie  croei  d.  mti  till  he  reaehe-  t\v  km.Uy  .shelter  .  t  a 
„.,t  Once  there,  by  a  gre.it  and  lieiufieent  law  of  .\r,ah  ho.pitalay. 
iu-  is  safe.  "That  the  gne>l  is  invioIM.e  is  me  nf  the  first  principles 
of  Arab  hospitality.  To  be  safe,  ihe  stranger  nee,N  l.t.t  enter  the 
tent,  or  only  touch  a  tent  ropci  :lun.  even  if  he  he  an  en.iuy.  no 
Land  ^^^V.  hv  raised  against  him.  To  fall  upon  one  seeking  Mielter 
,„  his  lent  would  stain  an  Arab's  name  with  everlasting  dishonor. 
The  enemie-,  then,  are  poueil.^-  t..  liv  ,i  tinker  upon  the  P^altmst. 
They  may  stand  at  the  tem-do.,r  and  glare  in  up..,i  l„i,i ;  but  withm 
the  tent,  his  protection  is  guaranteed  l.y  h>  >!u  ine  Host 

,  \n<l  not  onlv  bare  protection,  but  abundant  hospitality.  His 
luad  is  anointed  with  oil.  as  was  the  cu-toin  in  the  Ka>t  Wfore  a 
banquet-how  unlike  the  recepti..n  accr.Ud  f  .K-n.  by  the  haughty 
Pharisee!  (Luke  7:46).  He  is  guest  at  the  table  spread;  he  druiks 
f)f  a  full  and  exhilaratinR  cup. 

4  S,.  real  and  overwhelming  is  his  sense  of  the  divine  hospitality 
,1:1,  he  feels  sure  he  shall  enjoy  it  as  long  as  he  lives.  The  language 
,n  v.hich  he  expresses  this  confidence  is  enthusiastic  to  the  point  ot 
daring.  -Surely  goodness  and  kin.ln, .hail-not  merely  follow  me 
hxn-tunuc  me  all  the  days  of  iry  life  "  The  word  is  tb.u  u.ed 
f.,r  the  purMiit  of  the  enemy  in  battle;  and  goodness  and  mercy, 
bke  two  angel  spirits,  are  chasing  him.  as  it  were-in  hot  haste  after 
him,  divinely  determined  to  capture  him. 

5  How  sure  he  must  have  been  of  the  divine  love !  Is  ,t  any  wonder 
that  he  wished  to  enjov  forever  the  shelter  and  hospitality  of  that 
^.raciou-  tent,  or  th.at  he  vowed.  '  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house  of 
Jehovah  throughout  the  length  of  days"? 


26 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


I-'oLKi  ji  Day  :  C|)r  fRn»i%t  of  t\t  Psalm  for 

1.  I  lure  ib  no  psalm  un  which  it  is  so  suiircmtiy  ditlieull  to  coni- 
iiitiit  as  this,  lis  tender  beauty  eiuiies  analysis,  and  its  teaching 
\\as  ni  ver  meant  lor  >.v.--teniati/.atiuii.  I  lie  .ittiiiipt  Id  a-.-ign  a 
(Uliiiiu-  meaning  to  llic  '  ki*.'.!!  iia>luri--..  "  iin  '  watir.-.  ot  re>l,"  or 
llic  '  glooiny  valley,"  would  be  bulli  pru^aii  and  liilile.  Here  more 
than  anywliere  else  must  the  reader  interpret  for  hnnstlf  out  of  his 
own  experience.  The  glory  of  the  iisalm  lies  in  its  power  to  sug- 
gc-t  to  each  n.ider  an  apiilicatmn  uiiicli  >iiit>  hi--  own  experience. 

2.  It  i.s  lull  of  the  scn>e  that  life  is  haunled  by  a  presence.  We 
may  be  travellnig  throiigli  the  great  and  terrible  wiUlcrne>,'- ;  but  its 
terrors  vanish  for  him  who  can  say,  "Thou  art  with  ntc."  We  are 
indeed  silly  sheep,  but  not  shepherdlcss.  Hero  and  there  as  we  look 
.-.crii.-.^  D'.ir  Ilk  ui  sec  KTcen  aiul  happy  .-pots  where  we  were  re- 
freshed, renewed,  restored.  In  our  be^t  iiiomeius  we  know  that  it 
was  the  good  Slu  plii  rd  who  took  us  there,  and  we  might  have  been 
there  far  oftentr  had  we  given  up  our  lives  to  his  leading  and  guid 
ing:  for  the  paths  on  which  he  leads  us  are  not  crooked  but  straight. 
.And  if  we  ;ire  williiii;  to  follow,  he  is  pli di^ed  to  giiide  us,  for  his 
own  name's  s.iki'.    He  nuisi  lu  true  to  his  sheep  as  to  himself. 

J.  Very  reni.irkable  is  the  thought  in  verse  6  of  God's  pursuit  of 
men.  The  Fsahnist  could  liave  u.seil  no  stronger  'vord  to  express 
the  earnestness  of  Ciod's  affection  for  us.  "He  pursues  us  with  the 
y<.d  of  a  fiH,  ,nul  the  Inve  'if  a  Father;  pursues  us  'throughout  the 
length  of  days'  with  a  divine  impatience  that  is  never  faint  and 
never  wiary.  He  is  not  cimiini  to  follow  us:  he  pursues  us,  because 
he  means  to  find  us.  Behind  the  loneliest  man  is  a  lovely  appari- 
tion; nay,  no  apparition,  but  angels  twain.  'Goodness  and  Mercy.' 
Had  the  powers  that  pursued  Us  been  pnodu  s  and  mercy  they 
would  have  slain  u-,  loii^j  a^o  as  cuinberers  of  the  ground."' 

4.  This  psalni  not  a  prayer,  but  a  confession  of  faith.  The  writer 
does  not  pray  to  be  led  to  the  green  pastures  and  the  rcstfu'  waters ; 
he  is  there  already.  He  docs  not  pray  for  the  divine  prntecfion.  as  he 
pa-es  tli!oui:li  tlie  gloomy  valleys;  he  tiijoys  it  alrea.iy.  He  does 
m  l  pr.iv  ih.-it  lu  m.iy  be  fed  by  the  divine  bounty;  already  the  table 
I-  -pi'  i'l  ;ind  ill-  up  i~  niniiiiig  over.  He  has  an  unbroken  sense 
of  the  divine  goodness  that  filled  the  past,  and  will  assuredly  fill  the 
future.  He  has  heard  the  voice  of  his  heavenly  Father— though  per- 
haps he  has  not  yet  learned  to  call  him  Father— saying: 

"Child,  thou  art  ever  with  me. 
Ami  all  tli.il  i-  mitre  i-  tlime  "— ( /.i(i(-,-  l.ii.tl). 

'See  my  Diiiiw  I'msiiit  (.RcmII,  njoi  ),  pp.  197.  198. 


THE  TWENTY-THIRD  PSALM  aJ 
Fifth  Day  :  pwipktaM  of  tie  paalm 

Like  a  goo<l  .Iki-IrtcI,  .uy  God  i.  always  cunng  for  mc,  so  that  1 
l  i  for  nuthn-g.    He  gu-.Us  me  to  source,  of  renewal  and  rest 
inking  m        down  m'a.urc  gr..n.  and  K-adn,g  tne  t>.  waters  of 
nt  ness    My  weary  syru  i.c  rcirc^ho;  he  guules  me  m  patl  > 
e'tra   ...  for  the  glory  of  Ins  nau.c.    Yea.  an.l  ho  can  guu  . 
;  „    h'c  da^kne^s  as  .n  the  Ught.    For.  even  when  I  walk  .n  .he 
:,Uy  of  the  deep  shadow,  I  fear  no  ill;  for  thou  art  w.th  nu-.  to 
guide  and  defend  nte.    Thy  rod  and  thy  .t.Ul  are  my  com  or 
'  Thou  art.  too.  my  host,  as  well  as  n.y  ^h.plKr.l.  an.l  at  th^  ho 
nitable  table  I  feast  without  fear,  though  nunc  ..u,n,.^  K  ■  r,  ' 
fin  .ne     Thou  annin.e,.  n,y  head  for  the  bam.uet.  and  th.  « 

„;  table  are  abun-lan,  Surely  goodness  -'VrSu  « well 
twain' shall  foU.  w  Jo.  afu  r  nte  all  my  days,  and  I  shall  dwell 
forever  in  the  house  of  my  God. 

Explain  to  your^elf  every  phrase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly  .nod- 
ern  and  unconventional  language. 
The  success  of  your  effort  will  be  best  tested  by  writing  a  para 

phrase  of  your  own. 


28 


TEN  STUDIES  IS  THE  PSALMS 


Sixth  Day:  Pointi  for  CoftMitrraHm 

1.  Dot  tlii'-  ii-.ihii  'cciii  to  you  the  work  of  youth  or  of  a  matured 
anil  rlit\  kt  rid  rxpi  rii  lu  c  ? 

2.  d;)  ""F'^aliii  J,?  (  \]iri-^c^  c:ilm  ciMifiiliiu-f  in  Jilim  all :  (I)  as 
sliililn  ril.  pnn  i.iiiiir  Ins  >lK'i-p  u  l!li  plmtilul  pasture  and  water 
(vcr.-is  (•)  as  guiiU-,  conducting  his  companion  saffly  in 
right  paths  through  a  gloomy  ravine  (verses  3.  4);  (3)  as  host. 
,  iioiMtini;  his  guest  for  the  hanqui-t  and  granting  him  ptrpt-tral  h  k 
p:lalily.  *  *  *  (verses  5.  (1).  It  i->  a  tni-take  to  >up!i'  M'  liint 
thr  iliciin'  iif  the  slupherd  extends  nito  ihe  .-croud  strophe.  •  *  * 
In  --tn.plie  iii  (he  host  takes  the  place  of  the  shepherd  and  the  guide 
of  the  previous  strophes." — C.  A.  Briggs. 

(.'■)  •■  I  he  Iwi  ntv-lliird  p-aliii  -eniis  t^'  hreak  in  two  at  the  end 
I'i  tile  |..iirtli  V  r>i  I  lie  tir>t  four  vir-es  clearly  retlect  a  pastoral 
-l  ene;  the  fifth  appears  to  carry  us  ofT,  without  warning,  to  very  dif- 
iVrent  associations.  1  his.  Jiowever,  is  only  in  appearance.  The  last 
two  verses  are  as  pastoral  as  the  first  four.  If  these  show  us  the 
>l;>  plu  rd  with  lii>  >Iieep  upon  the  pa-inrr.  those  loll.iw  iiiiii,  shepherd 
■-till,  to  v^liere  in  his  tent  he  di>penses  the  desert's  hospitality  to  some 
poor  fugitive  from  blood." — George  Adam  Smith. 

(i-)  "It  is  all.  all  a  simple  shepherd  psahn.  See  how  it  nms 
through  the  round  of  s|R])hird  life  from  fir-t  word  to  last.  •  *  ♦ 
I  he  psalni  do-  s  u  itii  tin  1.  t  scene  of  the  day.  .-\t  the  door  of  the 
sheeiifold  the  shepherd  stands.  With  his  rod  he  holds  back  the 
sheep  while  he  inspects  them  one  by  one  as  they  pass  into  the  fold, 
ile  has  the  horn  tilled  with  •-•li\e  oil.  and  he  has  cedar-tar.  and  he 
Miinints  a  knee  bruised  on  the  rocks,  or  a  side  scratched  by  thorns. 
.\iid  lun-  cmiies  diie  that  is  not  Itruised.  hut  is  simply  worn  and 
i.xhar.  ied;  he  haiiies  its  face  and  head  with  the  refreshing  olive  oil, 
and  he  takes  the  large  two-handled  cup  and  dips  it  brimming  full 
from  the  vessel  of  water  provided  for  t'l  u  purpose,  and  he  lets  the 
weaiy  sliee|i  drink  I  here  is  iiolliini;  finer  in  the  psalm  than  this. 
(  cul\  .aie  1-  not  fci  tin  wcmndid  unly,  but  for  the  worn  and  weary 
also,  lie  aiiointeih  my  head  with  oil,  my  cup  runneth  over.' '  — 
ilie  Sung  of  Our  Syrian  Guest. 

Consiiler  carefully  the  above  interpretations  of  the  psalm.  Which 

do  v.ui  prefer,  and  why? 

3.  "On  cither  side  of  the  river  was  also  a  meadow,  curiously  beau- 
tified with  lilies,  and  it  was  green  all  the  year  long.  In  this  meadow 
liny  I.i>  .1 'wii  and  slept;  for  here  thcy  might  lie  down  safely."— 

Ilu-  .' 'i/i;.' iH!'.?  /'r.-.'i'riW.t. 


20 


THE  TWENTY-THIRD  PSALM 
4.  compare  the  following  versions  of  Psalm  .3:6  with  each  other 
and  with  the  original : 

Goodness  and  mercy  all  my  life 

Shall  suroly  follow  me ; 
And  in  God-s  housi'  for  evermore 

My  dwelling-place  shall  be. 
'  —Scotch  Metrtcat  Versum. 

O  nonght  but  love  and  mercy  wait 

Through  all  my  life  on  inc. 
And  I  within  my  F^'her  s  gate 

For  long  bright  years  shall  be. 

And  so  through  all  the  length  of  days 

Thy  goodness  faileth  never : 
Good  Shepherd,  may  1  sing  thy  pra.se  ^ 

Within  thy  house  forever. 


30 


TBN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


Seventh  Day  :  (Zrbovsbti  ^nectiou 

1.  How  do  you  account  for  the  extraordinary  power  and  popu- 
larity of  this  psalm  ? 

2.  Has  the  psalm  ever  spoken  to  you  with  special  power?  Recall 
such  occasions. 

3.  Like  the  Lord's  prayer,  the  Twenty-third  Psalm  is  appropriate 
to  every  stage  of  religious  development.  A  child  can  understand 
it,  but  the  wisest  cannot  exhaust  its  depths.  As  we  grow,  it  grows; 
we  never  leave  it  behind. 

4.  "I  .1111  the  good  shepherd"  (John  10:11).  How  rich  an<l 
definite  a  meaning  flows  into  the  ancient  words  cf  the  psalm,  when 
we  think  of  Jesus  as  our  Shcfrfierdl  Carefully  re-read  the  psalm 
with  this  thought  in  view. 

5.  "In  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death  1  will  fear  no  evil.'"  Note 
that  the  correct  translation,  "the  valley  of  deep  gloom,  the  valley  rf 
the  deep  shadow,"  is  really  more  comprehensive  than  the  other  and 
more  familiar  phrase.  The  Psalmist  is  expressing  his  faith  in  the 
presence  of  the  divine  Companion,  not  only  in  the  valley  of  death, 
but  in  every  valley  through  which  he  may  have  to  pass,  before  he 
rtaches  the  last  and  darkt  st  of  all. 

6.  "I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  forever."  The  Hebrew 
words  mean  literally  "for  length  of  days";  and  the  first  clause  of  the 
verse  shows  that  the  Psalmist  is  thinking  of  the  days  of  his  own 
lifetime.  Yet  the  thought  '  forever"  i.,  a  natural  and  legitimate  ex- 
pansion of  the  general  thought  of  the  psalm.  Men  *ho  had  learned 
to  know  God  in  this  life  as  their  Shepherd,  Host,  and  Friend,  came 
little  by  little  to  feel  sure  that  not  even  death  could  separate  them 
inm  bis  love  He  was  eternal,  simI  they  were  in  hioL 


STUDY  IV 


THE  THIRTY-SIS'TH  PSALM  33 
First  Day  :  Cle  Cntt  rt  He  p«tai 

I  said.  "I  will  watch  my  way*. 

To  keep  from  sinnmK  witli  my  tonRiie. 
I  will  pat  a  bridle  en  my  iiu>nt1i. 

So  long  as  the  wicked  are  before  nic. 
I  was  dumb  and  silent. 

I  utterly  lu  Ul  my  pc^icf ; 

But  my  pain  was  stirnd  up. 
My  heart  became  hot  in  niy  bosom. 

As  1  musid.  the  fire  kindled, 

And  at  last  I  spake  with  my  tongue. 

Teach  me,  Jehovah,  mine  end,  _ 

And  the  measure  of  my  days— what  it  is. 

Let  me  know  how  frail  1  am. 
See!  Thou  hast  made  my  days  but  a  span. 

And  my  life  is  as  nothing  before  thee. 
R,frain--Ah\  surely  as  a  breath  doth  every  man  stand. 

Ah!  surely  in  mere  semblance  man  walketh  about. 
Surely  his  noise  is  all  for  nothing. 
He  heaps  tip.  and  knows  not  who  shall  gather. 

And  now  what  wait  I  for,  O  Lord? 

My  hope  is  in  thee. 
From  all  my  transgressions  deliver  me. 

Make  me  not  the  scorn  of  the  fool. 
I  am  dumb.  I  open  not  my  mouth ; 

For  it  is  thou  that  bast  done  it. 
Ohl  take  thy  stroke  away  from  me. 

By  the  might  ,.f  thy  hand  1  am  clean  spent.    Ah  mel 
When  with  rebukes  for  sin  thou  dost  chasten  a  maii. 

Thou  wastest,  like  a  moth,  his  beauty 
Refrain-Ah\  surely  every  man  is  but  a  breath. 

Oh!  hear  my  prayer,  Jehovah,  a  d  hearken  to  my  cry  for  help. 

Hold  not  thy  peace  at  my  tears ; 
For  a  guest  am  I  with  thee. 

.\nd  a  si.journcr,  like  all  my  fathers. 
Look  away  from  me,  that  I  may  smile  agam. 

Ere  I  go  away,  and  be  no  more. 

MediUte  upon  the  psalm  carefully,  and  j]*;'^;^^.*;*^^^^^ 
until  yon  have  some  adequate  ,dea  oi  it,  m  detail  and  a.  a  wHoie. 


34 


/  /  A  \/  '  nil  S  l\  THE  I'S.iUfS 


Skcont)  [)\v  :  Cbc  |3ntbo8  of  Life  (I1tre«  1  0i 

r.  Fwalrl  l,.,s  ..,.!„,    u.o.„t..subIy  .he  finest  of  all  the 

•■'7'; "'•    •  ■■'<-  •■    Hru-f  a.  .  ...  „  rcn.c,s  ,  .  of  mo^I;: 

-IMiu.u.  aM,l  anger,  r.grct  and  ri->ignation.  murn-  .g  an«l  fai'h 
.1  he  '.alm.s,  ha.  the  sk.lt  to  give  i„  a  word  or  two  a  J^l 
into  the  depths  of  his  h.,t  .,n,|  ,r.,ul,kd  h.art. 

2.  His  lot  has  Ixcn  an  unharpy  .m,c.    Like  many  a  saint  whose 

'h    ",    '."  "u"''  h»d  «o  5uflFer  sorely,  so 

.  nr.Iy  ,l,a  h.-  had  Uen  tempted  to  mt.rmur  and  to  challenge,  I,ke 
Jeremiah  (u:  i).  the  diviiK  government  of  the  world.  \hn  I.-  hid 
dcternuned  to  keep  silence,  an.l  he         k,  ;„  ..lena-     I,  had  u-n 

■it  the  «ays  of  h,>  („„|.  th.  «.„1U.,,.         were  maliciously  watching 

of  his  G.ul.  he  held  his  peace,  and  put  a  hridle  upon  hi.  lips 

3.  But  this  effort  at  repression  onlv  stirred  up  hi,  pain  all  the 
more.  The  heart  which  seemed  so  qnut.  was  seching  Uneath  the 
surface.  The  nmre  he  thought  of  ,,  all.  the  more  impatient  and 
.ndignant  he  grew,  t:ll  at  last  the  tiame  which  he  could  no  longer 
control  leaped  out.  and  his  hot  heart  expressed  itself  in  words  of 

4.  But  what  those  words  were,  he  has  not  chosen  to  tell  us;  for 

l,ss  "  r.'T'-V:         ^""""■'^  """""8  °'  'he  storm  and 

passion  that  had  been  raging  in  his  heart.  Between  verses  ,  and  4 
we  may  imaRine  a  pau.se  in  which  the  Psalmist  had  reached  a  Letter 
mind.    He  bethinks  him  who  this  great  God  is  before  who.n  he 

•tn?"  ?r!,  '°  challenge;  and  as  he 

bmks  of  God  s  great  .  ternity,  an.l  of  the  infinite  littleness  and 

tt'ir  stead      T  in 
ineir  stead  he  offers  a  gentle  prayer. 

5-  He  is  overwhelmed  by  a  sJnse  of  the  infinite  pathos  of  life- 

h.  s  own  life  all  human  life.  It  is  so  very  frail  and  short-<,niy  a 
hand-breadth  or  t«o.  I,  i,  b,,,  a  breath,  a  vapor,  which  at  any 
moment  may  vanish  It  has  no  substance,  it  is  only  a  semblance 
a...  a  shadow.  It  IS  full  of  noise,  hut  the  noise  is  all  about  nothing- 
a  dies  away  upon  Gods  great  eternity.  .An.l  es,,eci..llv  emptv  ,s  that 
noisiest  struggle  of  all-the  >tr„K«|e  for  riche.- :  when  the  pile  is 

i.  gh.  the  man  who  has  gathered  it  is  called  to  his  long  rest  He 
.^.s  to  eave  ,t  all.  and  does  not  even  know  whose  it  will  be  after 
urn.    Hr.ef  Utc  empty  noise,  fruitless  eflrort-verily  every  man  is 

but  a  vapor.  Therefore  he  tenderly  pravs.  "Mak.-  „„.  „.  k;n.v  ...^..^ 
end  O  my  God  and  the  measure  of  my  days,  what  it  is;  and  let 
me  know  how  frail  I  am."  ,  -  u  m 


mi:  iiiiiii  y-MMH  I's.iLM 


3$ 


Third  Dav;  Cbe  Pialmiit'i  P«ptt  f«r  pup  (UttiW  7  13) 

I.  The  thing  wc  will  Ilk  i>  but  1  iilMiit.mi.  an  idle  pageant  fwH  of 
empty  noise;  and  yet  bunly  it  'nii^i  Ik  m..i.  .  1  lie  lUrp-lu  ,iri.  .1 
l•^allm^<t  can  never  be  conliivt  wiili  ili.ii .  ,uul  lie  i.>  ;,  tlii.-Uk;!i  In^ 
M.rn.vv.  that  that  betterthing  for  which  he  .s  lookii^.  "i>i  i"  "ln.li. 
,.1  tlu  li..n..,n  ..f  Ins  heart,  he  believes,  is  jnly  to  U'  tound  iii  U.d. 
My  hiifi  ts  in  llut-. 

i  He  is  now  in  :i  .I'l'^t'^^'-  mooA,  and  lie  u  able  to  -e.  -  nutiut,^ 
of  the  meaning  of  his  >utfering.  After  all.  it  is  n-t  uiuK  -.r^ol.  ,t 
is  divine  chasti^enunt  for  sin.  So  he  prays  God  tu  dclivi  t  l.im  ir-  .n 
the  sin  ..n.l  m.  ln>ni  the  penalty  which  it  brings.  In  this  chastened 
mood  he  has  no  tear  now  of  -MiininK  with  Ins  iip^" :  he  recognises 
the  hand  of  (iod  behind  hi-  calamily  iUou  lui^t  .lone  it.  Never- 
theless, he  prays  that  that  heavy  hand  be  lifted,  i.ile  i.  so  weak 
.in<l  frail  that,  if  the  omnipotent  C.o.1  thus  assails  it  even  in  ch.istise- 
„uMt  for  -in,  it  :ui.l  M  U-  loveline-,  inn-t  perish  outrigllt-destroyed 
a-,  utterly  .i>  ilu'  Karnunt  that  is  e.iten  by  moths,  or  the  meaning 
may  be.'a-  utterly  and  as  easily  obhterate.l  a-  tbe  moth  it>elf  i- 
crushed.  And  again  is  heard  the  pathetic  refrain:  Verily  every 
n:an  is  but  a  vapor."  . 

,    The  P-almi-t  hope-  in  God:  yet  his  soul  is  still  shaken  with 
the  pity  and  the  terror  of  life's  facts.    And  he  prays  for  help  nnce 
again-this  time,  like  C  hrist,  with  -tronR  >  ry.nK  and  tear-  (Hebrews 
5:7).    He  appeals  pathetically  to  the  great  l.or.l  m  have  pity,  on 
the  ground  that  he  is  only  a  passing  guest  in  tbi.  worbl.  and  there 
f..re  mav  justly  clniin  the  frien.l'y  considenition  of  his  host;  that 
he  is  as  it  were,  a  stranger  resi.liiiK;  in  a  foreign  land,  and  may 
therefore  claim  the  protection  of  tl,,  !or,l  ..f  ilut  Irnul  (ff  Leviticus 
25:23).    He  is  going  away  to  the  land  of  darkness  (ef  Job  10:  n. 
22)  and  if  his  God  means  to  show  his  kindness  upon  liim  at  all.  he 
,Must  do  so  now.  while  he  is  in  the  land  of  the  living.   Therefore  he 
prays  that  the  angry  fare  ..f  Go.l  may  be  turned  away  from  him  for 
a  brief  space,  that  he  may  -mile  .igain-a  beamilul  word  which  sug- 
gests the  sun  breaking  through  the  clouds— ere  he  enters  the  ever- 
lasting night. 


3fi 


TEN  STUDii-S  /.V  THL  PS.Il.MS 


Fourth  Day  :  C^r  filtantt  •{  tbt  |)Mlin  for  (Ui 

I  (  ill  -lull  a  IP^al^l  have  any  mes!>age  lor  us  at  all?  It  is  a 
HHiii  (Ji  Miigular  bfauty,  a  very  touching  lament  out  of  the  long  ago, 
a  cry  from  a  life  that  had  been 

"Heated  hot  with  burning  fears. 
And  dipped  in  bath<  of  hi-^sing  tears. 
And  battered  with  the  shtn-ks  of  doom." 

Hut  is  it  a  cry  for  Christian  litis?    Is  its  sorrow,  its  dumh  and 

almost  hopeless  resiKii:ai(.ii,  us  patlulu  apinal  for  a  Rl.ani  ..f  ll^;lll 
ami  |iiiy.  vrv  lis  wrilir  is  swallowed  ii|>  in  evcrlastitig  darkness 
— 1>  all  this  not  done  away  for  those  who  helieve  in  the  gospel? 

i.  I  hai  may  be.  Yet  he  is  no  great-hearted  man.  nor  has  he  seen 
far  or  deep  into  life,  who  has  not  snmetitncs  been  touched  hy  the 
"sense  of  tears  in  mortal  thinK-";  ;>ii.l  ili.it  -ense  lia>  >el.l<.m  f.  iina 
more  noble  or  affecting  expres-imi  than  m  ilu  exi|uisite  elegy  whieh 
we  know  as  the  Thirty-ninth  rsalm.  I  he  rsalmist  was  overwhelmed 
with  his  sense  of  the  pathos  of  human  life.  "Surely  every  man  is 
but  a  breath"  is  the  burden  of  his  refrain ;  and  though  he  finds  his 
hope  and  antidote  in  Cod.  this  doe>  nut  lift  linii  c. iin].!(kly  nver 
his  sense  of  life's  inlinite  niul  unutterable  sadness.  Ii  is  brief  as  a 
span.  It  i^  crushed  like  the  moth.  It  is  full  of  sound  that  signifies 
nothing.  ,\nd  while  this  is  not  a  mood  to  be  clierished.  neither  is 
it  a  mood  to  be  always  and  instantly  repelLd.  It  is  good  to  remind 
ourselves  that  most  of  our  noise  is  for  nothing,  and  that  at  the  end 
yawns  the  grave. 

3.  But  if  sorrow  is  a  fact.  God  is  also  a  fact.  My  life  is  but  a 
vapor,  but  my  hope  is  in  //iff.  According  to  some,  this  suggests 
that  the  Psalmist  expected  God  to  interpose  and  vindicate  him  in 
this  world,  especially  as  hi-  outlook  upon  the  world  IkvoikI  i>  mi 
gloomv  (verse  l.O.  Rut  in  -iiite  of  th.il  outlook,  it  uotiUl  still  seem 
that  the  r>alinist  yc.ini>  for,  and  hopes  m.  and  even  dimly  believes 
in.  immortality.  Life  is  so  sad  that  there  is  nothing  to  be  hoped  for 
hce— "what  wait  I  for?"  His  hope  must  therefore  be  in  God.  who 
is  not  bound  by  the  frailty  and  tlio  liniita'ions  of  tins  earthly  life 
We  may  say,  if  we  plea-e.  that  he  is  pushed,  by  his  sorrow,  into  his 
faith  in  a  God  oi  the  Heyond :  but  at  any  rate,  he  is  pushed  upon  a 
certainty.  And  the  hope  with  which  he  comforted  his  broken  heart, 
and  the  faith  which  steadied  him  when  crushed  by  a  sense  of  the 
vanity  and  transience  of  life,  may  be  ours.  Beyond  the  shadows  of 
tliis  world  is  the  -ubstai;-. of  that  other  world.  Beyond  the  vapor 
which  appeareth  for  a  little  time,  and  then  vanisheth  away,  is  the 
infinite  and  eternal  God. 


THE  THIRTY  SISTH  I'S.llM  37 
Fifth  Day  :  ptripfcriw  of  tbf  P«al« 

,  -0IV...I  ,0  watch  my  words,  and  carduV.y  t..  ab^u.,.  fn.„.  mur 
,  uruK'  a«a,n.,  nw  unhappy  lot:  for  ihcro  were  g.«lcs»  one,  aUn^t 

•„  ol  .he  ways  of  ,ny  (.u.l.    S  .  1  r.  ,.a,n  ,1  -J;  J^'  ^. 

u„crcd  not  a  word,  though  .ny  pan,  «a.  .urrol  up  ^^.th.n  mc . 
M,v  heart  wa    hnt,  an.l  hliming  thoughts  tcrnuttlcd  mc. 

,  ho      pravcl        thou  wouldM  teach  mc  how  near  my  end  «a  . 
.ndhiw  brief  nu-  l.f.    V.a.  ,^  >.  -v,  ..-y  brief '-but  a  ^pan  a.td 
in  thy  MKht.  and  ntan  .s  but  a  breath.  ^ti' 
a<  a  shadow  ;  hi.  hfc  is  full  of  empty  noi*e;  ho  heaps,  up  and  know* 
1  .,t  \s ho  shall  Rather.  ,,1,  i,,u. 

What  Uun  ha,  life  to  yield?    Mv  heart  yearns  for  he  ^uVta.u. 
;  ;     shadow,    ( .  -ny  <.o.t.  Mu  h..pe  .s  ,n  thee    ^avc  n.e  r,M.. 
nd  the  cha.t.se,„en.      br..,.  Km  I  becotn.-  .be  — 
,•.,.,1.    I  am  altogether  »ilet.. .  f.^r  >t  >^  .1  v  .!ua        ^  ""J 

thitig  IU,t  oh!  remove  that  heavy  hand  of  thnu-  iron,  .u.  for 
"  n  crushed  to  .ar.b.  With  stern  discipline  thou  do.  ^  ;  - 
for  his  sin.  wither-.,  h.s  beauty  l.kr  the  n,oth ;  man  ,s  l*"  > 

O  listen,  when  I  beseech  thee  w,th  lo.-l  oru„«  and  .ear  for 
,hou  art  my  Lord  and  protector  in  the  stran,.  la,.  .  .  -nv  .  o.^rn 
i,,^;    L„.,k  away  from  roe.  that  1  may  sm.le  again,  bet-re  1  away 
and  be  no  more. 

Explain  to  yourself  every  phrase       -he  p.alnt  in  thorottghly 
modern  and  unconventional  languafji. 
Vlu  M,a.,s  of  your  effort  will  be  best  tested  by  wr.i.ng  a  para- 

phrase  ui  your  own. 


38 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


Sixth  Day:  y«teti f mt CoMitentim 

In  the  light  of  the  psalm,  consider  tiic  fullowing  quotations: 

1.  I  said  to  myself— Is  this  life?  But  I  made  up  my  mind  that 
never  would  I  give  myself  tongue.  I  clapped  a  muzzle  on  my  mouth. 
Had  I  foll.nvt-d  ;iiy  own  natur.i!  lunt,  I  should  have  become  ex- 
pn^-ivc  aliiiiil  what  I  had  to  ciidurt,  hut  I  found  that  expression 
iiact-  1  11  liiiii  wlio  expresses  and  intensifies  what  is  expressed. — 
(Mark  Kiithcrford.) 

( I  he  rule  of  silence  for  the  Benedictine  order  was  based  on  the 
first  verse  of  this  psalm.) 

2.  We  arc  such  stuff 
As  dreams  aro  made  on  and  our  little  life 
Is  rounded  with  a  .sleep 

—(Shakespeare,  The  Tempest.) 

3.  That  blessed  mood, 
In  which  the  Imrthen  of  the  mystery. 

In  wliicli  tile  heavy  and  the  weary  weight 
Of  all  this  unintelligilile  world. 

Is  li^ditetied.  ll'ords-.Kortli,  Tintcrn  Abbey.) 

4.  (a)  To  die  is  gain.    (  Pliilipiiians  1:21.) 

(b)  To  depart  and  Iw  with  Christ  is  very  far  better.  (Philip- 

pians  I  :  2.?. ) 

(t  )  Christ  Jens  bronsht  life  and  immortality  to  light.  (2  Tim- 
othy I  :  10,) 

(d)  Yt  arc  no  more  strangers  and  sojourners,  but  ye  are 
fellow-citizens  with  the  saints,  and  of  the  household  of 
God.   (Ephesians  2:19.) 


THE  THIRTY-NINTH  PSALM  » 

Seventh  Day  :  ©imrtinui  f«r  ptittitil  Life 

1,  Recall  the  moments  in  which  you  were  overwhelmed  by  a  sense 
of  the  littleness  and  transience  of  life.   By  what  thoughU.  »f  any. 

were  you  steadied  and  comforted? 

2.  Are  there  any  words  of  Jesus  on  the  pathos  of  hfe?  let. 
John  9:4,  "The  night  is  coming.") 

I  How  far  may  a  Christian  appropriate  the  words  of  this  psalm, 
(cf.  James  4:14.  "What  is  your  life?  For  ye  are  a  vapor  that 
anpcarelh  for  a  little  time,  and  then  vamsheth  away.  ) 

4  Do  you  believe  in  immortality?  If  so,  on  what  do  you  ground 
vour  belief?  What  would  be  the  practical  effect,  upon  your  con- 
duct or  your  attitude  to  life,  of  the  disappearance  of  this  belief  ? 

5.  What  Bible  teaching  on  the  subject  of  the  future  hfe  occtirt  to 

your  mind?  , 

6.  Can  you  say,  "My  hope  is  in  thee"?  If  not,  why  not?, 


1 


I 

1. 


I  I4 


THE  FORTY-EIGHTH  PSALM  « 
First  Day  :  Cie  Crirt  ot 

Croat     Jchovab.  and  wrtby  of  .  s..v,ln,K  i-raUc. 
I„thecityo£ourC.od.hislv,K  mnun.am 

lUautiful  in  elevation,  the  .-y  ...  O,-  -  ;  K.ng. 

!.  Mount  Zion  on  her  northern  mJc  the  ut>  ot  tuc  gr 
God  in  her  citadels  .... 

Has  made  himself  known  as  a  high  towtr. 

For  see!  the  kings  had  gathered  by  appointment. 

Confounded,  in  hot  haste  they  ik-d. 
Shuddering  seized  them  then— 

Writhing,  as  a  woman  m  travail ; 
(Shatt.rc.l  tluy  w-re.  as)  by  an  east  wmd 

I  hou  break.  >t  in  pirn  s  the  slnps  of  I  arsh.sh. 
As  we  have  heard  so  we  lu^e  ^een 

In  the  city  of  Jehovah  ot  li'-t-.  ">  ""^  '■'^J' 
God  shall  establish  her  forever. 

We  have  thought.  O  God.  of  thy  kindness. 

In  the  midst  of  tliy  temple. 
As  is  thy  name.  O  God. 

So  is  thy  praise  to  the  ends  of  the  earth . 

Of  rigbte.tusness  thy  right  hand  is  full; 
Let  Mount  Zion  be  glad. 

Let  the  daughters  of  Jn.lah  rejoice. 

Because  of  thine  acts  of  judgment. 

Go  about  Zion,  and  circle  her  round, 

Coimt  her  towers ; 
Set  your  mind  upon  her  ramparts. 

Consider  her  citadels. 

That  ye  may  tell  to  the  generation  following. 

That  such  is  Jcliovali  our  God. 
He  it  is  that  shall  guide  us  for  ever  and  aye. 


44 


TEA'  STUDIES  L\  TIIll  PSALMS 


SKcoxn  D\v  :  Cbe  €it?  of  tbt  (Srtat  Binff  (UtmB  18) 

1.  It  is  sonuwhat  pathetic  tliat  wi-  know  notliing  wliatcviT  of  the 
oriRin  of  this  iojous  and  beautiful  psalm.  It  is  ginorally  believed 
that,  m  ..tniiinii  with  P.saltn  4'>.  it  was  written  to  celebrate  the  de- 
liviramc  .if  Jmlah  from  Sennacherib  and  his  Assyrians  in  70«  B.  C, 
.K-.i-ilud  m  -'  KiiiK^  iS.  I.);  I-.iiah  ,!7  Ollnrs.  how  ver.  rcpard 
it  as  a  pilgrim  p^alni,  smig  by  Jews  who  hail  traveled  from  distant 
lands  to  Jerusak'ni,  and  who  Icxiked  with  eyes  of  reverent  wonder 
.111(1  d.li^rlit  .It  the  famous  old  city,  where  so  much  epoch-making 
hi>tory  li;ul  Ik  .  n  enacted.  In  either  case,  the  .nffcction  of  the  singer 
j;.n>  out  lo  tlu'  city,  ami  to  the  temple  h:  ',  and  most  of  all  to  the 
great  un-een  King  who  had  defended  the  city,  and  who  was  wor- 
shipped in  the  temple. 

2.  He  was  great  and  worthy  of  all  praise  from  his  grateful  wor- 
shippers in  the  temple  on  the  lovely  Zion  hill.  No  Greek  could  have 
-pokeii  ot  .Athens  with  a  more  passionate  enthusiasm  than  this 
r.almist  speaks  of  Zion.  .And  it  was  not  only  her  beauty  th.it 
thrilled  him,  but  still  more  the  great  deeds  that  had  been  done  in 
lur  ;  for  there  Cod  had  often,  but  especially  on  one  conspicuoiis 
occa-ion,  made  himself  known  as  the  champion  and  defender  of  his 
people. 

3.  For.  see!  the  Psalmist's  blood  warms  as  he  thinks  of  it.  The 
great  Assyrian  army,  whose  divisions  were  commanded  by  vassal 
kiuK-.  sritliered  for  an  assault  upon  the  little  land  of  Judah,  and 
opeciaily  upon  her  royal  capital  city.  On  they  came;  but— and  here 
the  Psalmist's  brief  wor.N  are  vivid,  and  almost  breathless— when 
they  saw,  that  is.  when  they  saw  this  wonderful  city,  and  the 
mysterious  power  of  the  God  whom  its  people  worshipped,  they 
were  amazed,  confounded,  and  off  they  hurried  away  (cf.  2  Kings 
„,.  ,5.  .:«,) —trembling,  for  all  their  warlike  might,  like  a  woman  in 
labor,  shattered  as  terribly  as  the  wind  shivers  the  giant  ships  in 
pieces.  This  is  a  very  splendid  description,  done,  with  inimitable 
art.  in  a  word  or  two:  its  effect  is  to  show  how  powerless  the 
•  king-  '  were,  wlun  they  clashed  in  conilict  with  the  Great  King. 

4.  I  be  r~almi-t  aiul  his  countrymen  h.id  often  heard  of  such 
storie-^:  tliey  had  been  told  how  the  powerful  Ph.ar.aoh  had  been 
crushed  by  jehovah,  how  the  hor^e  and  his  Egyptian  ri.ler  had  been 
thrown  into  the  sea.  But  now  with  their  own  eyes  and  in  thtir 
own  city  they  had  seen  a  thing  as  great  as  any  that  had  happened 
in  the  olden  d.ivs.  As  we  have  heard,  so  have  we  seen."  And  with 
those  ancient  lales  in  their  ears,  corrolxirated  by  the  sights  they 
have  seen  with  their  own  eyes,  they  can  look  forward  to  the  future 
of  the  city  with  calm  confidence:  "God  will  establish  her  forever." 


THE  FORTY-EIGHTH  I'ii-H-^t  45 

THIRD  DAv:  Ct.aM»e.lt.emn.nce  ^«'»«  ^  J^) 

,  cage,  graphic  description  oi  tl.  As.n.n  <^K.u  .  (oj^ 
l„..ed  by  two  verses  .n  a  n,ore  J^bduc^  f  ^^^^^^^^  ^,,„,,u  on. 

contemplate  the  k,ndne»s       'l^;  f^^"^;..  ,„\,,,g  windnes*.  O  God. 
uancd  over  in  our  nunds.  ponder  d  cM^^^  hy  lo    g  ^^^^^^ 

,„  the  n,.d.t  of  thy  teu.ple     ^ '     '^^^.J",,";  of  their  God  : 

,.,„a.r  us  .K,t  an  abstract  ''^^Z  ""^^  ^  *L  vMuch  the  Mng.  r 
U  has  been  v.tally  ,,^^„fj,rT      was  h.s  lovn.g  k.nd- 

described  in  the  hrst  part  of  the  P^^'  .  praise 

nc„.  and  for  that  dchnit.  thn.g  t  k    m    m  t         p  ^^^^ 
him.   And  his  praise  »  sung  not  -  >  his 

world  over;  j'^^^'^^f^j'^i'^e  ;  ^  of 
people,  will  reach  and  gladden  the  ears  o, 

they  will  be  won  to  .he  -orsh.p  of  he  ^  ^  ^'J^^,^^^,^^  ,i,at  rejoice 

But  most  of  all  it  .s  the  dehvorcd    op  h 
_of  Judah.  which  was  ravaged.  daughters-that 
ened.    I  herefore  "let  M^-'//""  ,^  4  :^;e''  because  of  .h-.  -nar- 
is.  the  little  village-towns-of  Jud  h.  reje  .  bec^  in.erpos.tion 
vellous  interposition  ot  ilnir  -         .        ,^0,  ^iU  convince 

which  it  is  impossible  to  deny ;  a^va^  .;^:;,_„ot  one  of  them 
the  most  obstinate  '■,„,t:X_not  one  of  them  has  been 

is  missing.    Mark  wtU  ncr  uu  Consider  her  ciia<Ul>- 

injured  by  the  enemy  (cf.  2  Kings  19  .  j  ,  G.>d 

,.ot  one  of  them  has  been  t-^;-^';         "f"  he  A-y"=»"»' 
has  preserved  his  city  from  he  ^''^  _  J  ^nd  not  only 

were  about  to  come  down  hke  J"  f  everywhere 

wonderful,  but  indubitable-the  P^°?\*  "^J^'^P^^^^  destruction, 
in  the  city  so  strangely,  but  '^"'"^'f 'J^.'Jf  ^'"^ss  so  wonderful 
3.  NOW  those  ^Xl^J^:^^^:::!^  the  story  is  not 
a  manifestation  of  God  s  grace  are  ^^^^ 

forgotten.   It  must  be  told  to  'he^**  .onchules  by  bid- 

to  the  generations  yet  '°'Z%^^,^:/:Trh,,  they  may  tell  ,0 
ding  his  people  mark  and  consider  it  all  we  . 
the  next  generation  what  a  g  orun.s  ^od      Israel  ^^^^^^ 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


individual  unto  death,  but  of  the  guidance  of  tlic  national  life  for- 
ever. But  though  we  may  lose  the  words  which,  by  association,  are 
so  dear  to  many,  we  do  not  lose  the  essential  thought  which  they 
cxprcu;  "for  h«  will  guide  u«  for  tvtr  and  tvtr." 


THE  FORTY-r.iaiTlI  PSAIM  47 
Fourth  Day  :  Cte  illfB6«ffr  of  tbt  pealm  for 

I.  Few  psalms  so  brief  arc  so  rich  in  great  sugKi-t...n>.    Thr  first 
,.f  these  is  this,  that  one  of  the  great  ways  in  wliuh  (....1  rovc.l. 
,„„„,,f  i.  upon  the  fKhl  of  history.   We  are  apt  to  thmk  of  rota- 
tion too  abstractly,  or  to  associate  it  too  exchtstvely  with  the  B  We . 
here  wc  learn  that  "God  has  .nade  hiniM-lf  U.unvn  m  u-r  '"'"'••'^  - 
in  the  citadels  of  Jerusale,n-by  defending  then  ('^^^^'^^^^'J/^ 
If  the  enemy  alluded  to  in  this  psalm  is  S.nnacherih  .m.l  hi> 
\. Syrians,  there  was  certainly  something  remarkable,  not  to  say 
nnr.-,cnlous.  in  h.s  speedy  departure  (2  Kings  ,o:.^5>.    The  mhah.- 
t.-,ms  had  conclusive  proof  of  God",  pr.-enco  u.th.n  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem,  which  the  unseen  King  had  defended  aga.nM  the  hlustcr- 
,„R  kings  who  opposed  him;  and  .t  is  this  that  g.ves  wuhus.  and 
eolor  to  the  more  abstract  words  of  the  psalm,  whose  concrete,  h.s-^ 
torical  basis  we  too  seldom  realize.   This  was  the  '•'^'ng  Jtndness 
which  the  worshippers  thought  on.  as  tin  y  gathered  m  the  temple 
(verse  o):  this  was  one  of  the  divine  •judgments    at  which  Zion 
and  the  daughters  of  Judah  rejoiced  (verse..)    This  is  a  mess.age 
for  us,  that  we  shall  find  God  upon  the  field  of  our  own  history  no 
less  than  Israel  s.  the  history  of  the  twentieth  century  no  less  than 

of  the  centuries  long  dead.  ,       .  ...t,  :„  » 

2  Next  wc  learn-though  this  is  another  aM^'ct  of  the  truth  |Ust 
,,,;ed-that  the  present  is  as  full  of  God  as  t!,e  past  ever  was  :  As 
we  have  heard,  so  we  have  seen."    What  a  splendid  -nfcsMon! 
All  that  our  fathers  have  told  us  about  God  we  have  grandly  verified 
fn  our  own  experience.   The  God  who  defeated  Sennacherib  is  as 
Uat  as  the  God  who  defeated  Pharaoh.    It  ,s  a  mistake  to  speak 
of  the  good  old  days,  a  denial  of  the  God  who  is  ,h,  ,an..  yc  ^terday^ 
to-dav  and  forever.  .\nd  so  sure  and  real  was  God  to  the  Psalmis  .  m 
this  deliverance,  that  he  looked  out  upon  the  future,  with  the  sublime 
confidence  that  God  would  he  there  as  well.    "He  -"./-f '  " 
city  torever"  (verse  S).  "He  will  be  our  guide  forever    (verse  14). 
All  history  is  illuminated  for  the  Isalmist  by  the  d.vme  presence; 
but  particularly  helpful  is  it  for  us  to  note  his  fine  appreciation  of 

'^'/mS!' further,  the  appeal  to  experience.  Anyone  who  doubted 
ci-s  ^wer  could  convince  himself  of  it.  "Walk  aMm  Zion,  count 
£f  toJ^rs.  mark  her  bulwarks."  The  .  ity  and  her  defence,  are  un- 
?"ched;  count  them  and  see.    If  God  has  really  been  working  in 

:tl^ ""gre^^^^  etc.   The  Christian  should  not 

only     willing  to  accept  .  challenge,  bat  eyen  re.dy  htmseU  to  chal- 


48 


TEN  STVDIES  IX  THE  PSALMS 


\enge  dnnbtcrs  with  indutHUUe  proof  of  what  God  hat  done  for  the 
world  or  for  liiinsclf. 

4.  The  last  two  verses  luggest  the  obligation  of  taking  deliberate 
step*  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  God's  goodness.  As  we  have 
heard  from  onr  fathers  (verse  8),  so  otir  children  have  the  right  to 
hear  fn.m  ih;  for  tluir  faith,  like  ours,  will  be  strengthened,  aot 
only  by  what  they  sec,  but  by  wbAt  they  hear  (verse  8). 


THE  FORTY-LIGHT II  rSAlM  ^ 

Fifth  Day:  pwipbuw of  P"*" 

Our  God  ii  .  great  Ciod.  and  worthy  of  all  pra.,..  .n  the  cty  of 
J  °  sa.Jir'anVor^on-.  ho.y  hi.l.   Fair  .he  r^^^^J^Z 
r.dgc-Mouni  Z.on.  the  c.iy  c.(  the  Great  K.ng.      J"'  ^ 
earth.  God  has  revealed  hnn.df  m  her  by  preserving  Her  c.tadeis 

'Tr'^sLel  kin«  gathered     :  oame  on  together  ;  but  one  Rlance  at 

present  U  not  less  wondr,,,,,  than  ilu-  ,.a~,.    11,.  u  >  o    h  oUe 
"i„,e  have  been  matched  by  what  we  have  seen  he 
in  this  city  of  our  mighty  God.  Jehovah  of  hosts,  the  city  which 

l^bi;:  rr^re  ,n  tbe  un.le.  we  c.t  U>  mind  ^rr^ 
to  us  in  this  great  dehveraiue.    Thy  name      known  and  th  prn.se 
!r«ng  thr..ifghout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  -.'-J 
and  nf.ghty  art  .hot..   Let  Jerusalem  and  all  the  c.ttes  of  Judah 
rejoice,  because  of  thy  ju-t  judgments. 

For  who  can  deny  that  Jehovah  has  saved  J""'"''"" "  J^-; 
round  about  the  city  and  cunt  lu  r  „nv.rs_,„..  one  «hej^  ' 
missing  Her  walls  have  not  been  batter.-.l,  nnr  h,.ve  her  c.  adeis 
~o^  ched  Lay  this  up  in  your  heart  and  u  ll  to  yur  ch.Mren^ 
thTiTthc  Jr^.  of  Jc' ovah  our  God.  and  w.th  the  sa.ne  o.nmp- 
otent  love  he  will  guide  u^,  forever  and  ever. 

Explain  to  yourself  ev.ry  phrase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly 
modern  and  unconventional  language. 

The  success  .,f  your  effort  will  be  best  tested  by  writing  a  para 
phrase  of  your  own. 


TEN  STUDiES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


Sixth  Day;  |Miitt ftr C«Miltratto« 

I.  R«ad  J  Kings  I9:y-J7,  ai  i  i.Mii.-,nlir  wlinlirr  Psiliii  48  may  be 
ai'pri.prnitiy  rticrreU  to  Iht  Miuatioii  there  tliscrilKtl. 

Ktad  I'ltalin  46,  and  cun»itler  whether  it  may  have  bctn  written 
fur  the  Mine  occasion  as  Paslai  48. 

J.  On  one  view.  Psalm  48  celebrates  the  dilivcraiui  imtn  Sen 
nachtnl, ;  mi  aiioiliir,  it  i.  a  pilgrim  psalm.  viiitR  by  pllgnms  who 
had  traveled  10  Jerusalem  to  take  part  in  one  of  the  great  feasts. 

Go  carefnily  through  the  psalm  from  each  of  these  points  of  view . 

For  example,  "As  wi  luve  litartl.  so  have  wc  lOfii."  will  tiu  an. 
on  the  one  view,  that  the  pnsrnl  is  not  less  wondrous  than  the  past; 
on  the  other,  thai  the  city  is  as  wonderful  as  the  rumors  of  it  had 
led  the  pilgrims  to  expect. 

Sn.  on  the  one  view,  verses  1..  .nr  '  .t  will  he  the  poet's  appeal 
to  the  people  of  the  city  t'l  mark  wdi  li  nv  cmnpliti'l.v  it  had  been 
pffservcil  friiin  ilesiriu-tiMii ;  ,.n  the  other,  the  pilgnni  .sinKer  appeals 
to  i<ini|..mi(ins  to  mark  tlie  city's  glories  well,  that  they  may  be 
able  to  tell  of  them  to  posterity. 

On  either  view,  verses  4  and  5  refer  to  some  signal  deliverance  of 
the  holy  city. 


THE  porty  iughtii  rs.fi  M 
Seventh  Day:  ©«f»*«w 

,    i.nun,rrat.  ^onu-  of  -In   wnys  .n  wl.    .  C'oA 

,  Can  you  po.nt  to  „  '  .  .ng,  n 

"  „  ,,  ..M.nable  to  .praV  of  thr  g.-Hl  nM  tu 

S.  ulsu  Job4.:5)?  Docs  «ivo  you  rrc.  ;^  ^ct 
well  a»  hop*  for  the  future  id    vr-  -  . 

.   Take  any  of  the  common  attr.l.u..  .  •  .•»'. 
havi  Im  u  ilhiMratcd  in  hisK  'v 

(,  To  what  wm.t.i      u  P^.". 

vincilig  priwf  o<  t:        '  r-'l' 

7  Do  we  sufScit     y  recop' 
chiidrfn'    Wliat  I- 
iag  scnav  oi  lioil  oodne»: 


him?' 
i.rn.>,  nr  ^ 

.  nc f  t  '"f 
versf 


4« 


hey 


the  > 
in  th< 
rclig 


\m'w  a- 

obhwiii 


to  the 


iatiut-il  ''iilur 


( 


STUDY  VI 


I 


i 


THE  FORTY MXTll  I'SALM 


First  Uav  :  Ctit  Cftt  of  tbt  pulm 

Hear  this,  all  ye  piopks. 

Hearken,  all  ye  that  dwell  m  the  world: 
Both  men  of  low  degree  and  high, 

Rich  and  poor  togetiwr. 
My  mouth  shall  utter  deep  wisdom. 

And  the  niu-iiig  of  my  heart  shall  be  of  understanding. 
I  will  incline  mme  ear  to  a  proverb, 

1  will  open  my  riddle  to  the  sound  oi  the  lyre. 
Refrain — (Man  in  honor  abideth  not, 

He  is  like  the  beasts  that  perish.) ' 

Why  should  I  be  afraid  in  the  days  of  misfortune. 

When  my  cunning  foes  compass  nie  round  with  iniquity— 
They  that  trust  in  their  wealth. 

And  boast  of  the  abundance  of  their  riches? 

Surely  no  man  can  by  any  means  redeem  himself. 

Or  give  to  God  the  ransom  he  requires — 
That  he  slio-ild  live  for  evermore. 

And  not  sec  the  pit : 
For  too  costly  is  the  redemption  nf  man  *<■, 

And  one  mus;  cease  (from  that  eff»  . :  >  t  .  ever. 
Nay,  he  shall  sec  (iht-  \nX)  :  \\\c  (v.-or;   ;  ,'  v.  sedie. 

The  fool  and  the  brutish  perisli  toge»i.... 

And  leave  their  wealth  to  others. 
The  grave  is  their  home  forever. 

Their  halMtation  to  all  generations. 

Though  they  called  lands  after  their  names. 
Refrain— ^\3Ln  in  honor  abideth  not. 

He  is  like  the  beasts  that  perish. 

This  is  the  fate  of  those  that  have  self-confidence. 

And  the  end  of  those  th.it  !i.ivf  pleasure  in  their  portion. 
Like  sheep  they  descend  to  Shcol 

Death  is  their  shepherd,  and  straight  down  they  go. 
Soon  their  form  wastes  away, 

And  Sheol  is  their  home. 


>Thc  proverb,  or  riddle,  appears  to  be  the  refrain  (.cf.  verse 
20),  and  some  propose  to  insert  it  here. 
*The  underworld. 


S6  TEN  STL  VIliS  IS  THE  PSALMS 

Surily  God  will  rcilit-in  my  soul  from  the  hand  of  Sheol, 
For  he  will  take  me  (lo  himself). 

ThtrcfDre  lu-  not  afraid,  when  a  man  grows  rich, 

When  the  pomp  of  his  house  mcreases. 
For  of  it  all,  he  takes  nothing  with  him  when  he  dies, 

His  pomp  docs  not  go  down  after  him. 
Though  he  counts  himself  happy  while  he  is  alive 

And  wiu'i  prai^i-  because  ho  docs  well  to  himself; 
Yet  he  shall  ro  to  the  Riiuration  of  his  fathers, 

Who  see  the  light  nevermore. 
Refrain — Man  in  honor  abidcth  not. 

He  is  like  the  bea.sts  that  perish. 

Meditate  upon  this  psalm  carefully,  and  without  the  aid  of  books, 
until  you  have  some  adequate  idea  of  it,  in  detail  and  as  a  whole. 


THE  FORTY-NIXTH  PSALM 


57 


Second  Day  :  Cke  Jtttltt?  tf  Bicfcw  at  ©r«rt  (HetiW  M2) 

1.  What  the  P>almi>t  lias  to  >ay  lie  regard,  a>  of  iinivir<al  and 
vital  iinportance.  Accordingly  in  the  oinninK  verse-,  he  -iimni<ms 
the  whole  world  to  hear  it,  nun  of  high  degree  and  low,  the  rich 
and  the  poor  together;  the  latter  he  mentions  expressly,  as  the 
theme  of  his  song  is  to  he  the  impotence  of  riches.  He  has  pondered 
the  question  deeply— e>i)ecially  as  it  was  Miinmarily  expres-ed  in  the 
IM  pillar  proverb  which  he  chooses  as  the  refrain  of  his  own  poem: 
"Man  in  honor  abidcth  not,  he  is  like  the  heasts  that  pernli  "  He 
sings  his  song  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  lyre,  and  under  the 
strains  of  the  music,  the  prophetic  mood  steals  over  him.  in  which  he 
ha,  an  insight  into  the  riddle  of  life  (of.  2  Kiufx^  r  15) 

2.  The  I'saliiiist  hail  k-cn  ve.xcd,  like  many  another  Old  Testament 
singer,  by  the  seeming  victory  of  wickedness  and  defeat  of  piety. 
The  wealth  went  to  the  unscrupulous,  and  the  pious  were  driven 
to  the  wall.  But  his  fear  vanishes,  and  he  becomes  reconciled  to 
his  lowly  and  pers-eiited  lot.  when  he  l)egi;i-  to  rellect  on  the  utter 
and  absolute  pow erles-iuss  of  luoiu-y  to  help  its  possessor  in  the 
great  cri>is  of  death.  I'luy  trust  in  t!"  ir  uealtli  and  Ixiast  of  it, 
but  when  the  death-angel  knocks  at  their  door,  not  all  their  money 
cp.n  bribe  him  to  stay  away.  Surely  no  man  can  by  any  means 
redeem  liimsclf  (this,  rather  than  his  hrotlicr,  \\:\^  no  doubt  the 
original  text).  All  the  money  in  the  world  cannot  buy  back  a  soul 
on  whwii  I  lentil  i.  l  iving  his  icy  hatid  The  man.  for  .ill  hi-,  wealth, 
must  go  down  to  the  pit;  he  cannot  even  take  it  with  him,  he  must 
have  it  to  others. 

X  The  verse  beginnitii;  their  iir.iiird  ihitught  is  (verse  lO  should 
undoubtedly  be  rendered:  CiV<itt-.(  arc  their  houses  fom-cr.  the  grave 
i..  their  everlasting  home.  Throughout  the  psalm  th<'  poet  dwells 
on  this  thought  with  gruesome  emphasis,  and  the  contrast  here  is 
heightened  by  the  mention  of  the  dead  man's  past  possessions. 
While  he  was  .dive,  he  w;is  the  lord  of  vast  estates;  SO  great  was 
he  that  cities,  like  .Alexandria,  wire  even  nanted  after  him.  Rut 
who  cares  for  him  now?  and  wlien-  i«  be  now'  In  a  little  narrow 
grave.  He  needs  but  a  tiny  spot  of  the  great  lands  that  were  once 
his  own.  wherein  to  .sleep  his  eternal  sleep.  Yes,  the  homely  old 
proverb  is  profoundly  true:  "Man  in  honor  abidcth  not,  he  is  like 
the  beasts  that  perish." 


58 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


Third  Day  :  Clic  Pro«ptrt«  of  t^e  (SooH  it  D«tb 
(lltnm  13  20) 

1.  This  pjalm  does  not.  like  so  many  others— the  first,  for  example 
—elaborate  tin  contrast  betwccii  the  destinies  of  the  two  great  typos 
of  men.  The  destiny  of  the  good  man  is  only  once  touched  (verse 
15) — very  effectively  indeed,  but  rather  in  a  hint  than  in  a  picture; 
but  the  general  theme  of  the  pialm  is  the  essential  impotence  of 
riches,  then  inability  to  help  a  man  when  he  needs  help  the  most — 
a  thcnic  which  is  gathered  up  in  the  refrain. 

2.  After  the  striking  contrast  between  the  vast  domains  of  which 
the  rich  were  lords  when  they  were  alive,  and  the  little  grave  in 
which  they  have  to  lie  at  the  last,  the  Psalmist  renews  his  grim 
<kscription  of  their  fate.  He  compares  them  to  a  ;1ock  of  silly 
sheep,  who  are  driven  down  from  the  earth  to  the  underworld  by 
the  stern  shepherd  Death.  To  appreciate  the  vivid  force  of  this 
picture,  we  have  to  remember  that  the  verb  in  "Death  shall  be  their 
shepherd"  is  the  very  same  as  that  in  the  first  verse  of  Psalm  23, 
"Jehovah  if  my  shepherd."  They  will  not  have  the  gracious  Jehovah 
to  lead  them  in  the  other  world  to  pastures  green  and  waters  of  rest ; 
but  the  grim,  terrible,  inexorable  Death,  who  will  drive  them  down 
to  the  dark  and  dusty  underworld. 

3.  "But  God  will  redeem  my  soul."  What  a  startling  contrast! 
The  same  word  is  used  as  in  verse  7.  Money  cannot  redeem  a  soul, 
but  God  can.  The  unredeemed  waste  away  in  Sheol.  the  dreadful 
underworld;  "but  God  will  redeem  me  from  the  hand  of  Sheol"— 
as  if  Sheol  were  a  monster,  stretching  out  his  cruel  hand  to  grasp 
and  hold  him  forever.  But  God  the  omnipotent  draws  him  back: 
"for"— as  the  Hebrew  says,  with  exquisite  simplicity— "he  will  take 
me,"  the  word  used  for  the  "taking"  of  Enoch  (Gen.  5:24)  and 
Elijah  (2  Kings  2:9.  10).  There  is  something  wonderful  about  the 
reticence  of  the  Psalmist  here.  How  God  will  take  him,  and 
whither,  he  does  not  say ;  he  does  not  know.  Enough  for  him  that 
God  would  take  him  to  himsell 


THE  FORTY-NINTH  PSALM 


59 


Fourth  Day  :       pMUV  of  tie  Pialm  Cot  ®i 

I  The  general  message  of  the  psalm  is  the  impotence  of  riches 
to  help  us  when  we  need  help  most-in  the  hour  of  death.  One 
great  scholar  has  said  that  the  Psalmist  fa.ls  to  fulfil  the  expecta- 
tions which  he  raised  by  the  trumpet  tones  of  the  openmg  verses ,  for 
the  chief  thought  of  the  psalm,  that  riches  arc  no  defence  against 
death,  is  as  trivial  as  possible.    But  is  it  not  just  the  commonplace 
that  is  often  most  worthy  of  attention,  and  most  apt  to  be  neglected. 
Is  not  this,  obvious  as  it  is.  precisely  the  iIvmirIu  tlwt  is  so  seldom 
laid  to  heart  by  those  who  spend  their  lives  in  the  effort  to  amass 
as  much  as  they  can?  They  go  on  adding  house  to  house  and  field 
to  field,  forgetting  the  truth  of  which,  with  grim  reahsm.  the 
1'salm.st  reminds  us.  that  at  the  end  of  all  their  effort  hes  a  little 

There  can  be  no  question  that  this  thought,  if  tirmly  held  before 
the  mind  in  our  efforts  to  succeed  in  life,  would  tend  to  throw  things 
into  their  proper  perspective.  It  would  open  our  eyes  to  the  things 
that  really  matter.  The  things  that  matter  now  are  the  thmgs  that 
will  matter  then  ;  and  money,  says  the  Psalmist,  can  do  nothing  for 
the  dying  or  the  dead.  It  cannot  bribe  the  death-angel,  and  when 
the  man  has  been  driven  down,  like  a  sheep,  by  the  stem  Shepherd, 
into  the  valley  of  the  unbroken  shadow  (verse  19).  u  cannot  bring 
him  back  again. 

3  This  then,  is  the  Psalmists  solution  of  the  riddle  of  life.  Now 
the"  rich  man  "blesses  his  soul,"  and  "does  well  to  iiimseif."  while 
out  of  the  depths  of  his  lonclmess  and  sorrow  the  poor  man  lifts 
a  tear-stained  face  to  God.  But  wait  till  death,  and  then  we  shall 
see.   Some  psalmists  (cf.  Ps.  37:9)  had  thought  the  compensa- 
tions would  be  in  this  world:  this  Psalmist  sees  deeper,  ^^hether 
there  are  compensations  here  or  not.  at  any  rate  at  death  the  dittcr- 
ence  will  be  infinite.   "God  will  redeem  my  soul  from  the  hand  of 
Sheol  for  he  will  receive  me."   There  is  a  deeper  truth  even  than 
this  caught  in  a  divine  moment  by  the  writer  of  Psalm  73.  that  we 
may  be  continually  with  God-here  as  well  as  there;  th.it  he  not 
only  will  receive  us  to  glory,  but  that  he  guides  us.  even  m  this 
world,  by  his  counsel,  across  the  pilgri«ns«c  of  life  (verses  23.  24) 
Still  our  Psalmist  has  chosen  to  concentrate  his  gaze  upon  the  grea» 
momem  of  death,  and  with  extraordinary  power  and  simplicity  com- 
pelled us  to  feel  that  nothing  matters  then  but  Goi. 


6o 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


Fifth  Day:  flanrtnM tf  ^ 

The  n.ldlc  that  has  troiihltii  me  concern^  all  the  world.  Listen, 
thin,  all  III  ymi— high  and  low,  rieh  and  \>'"n.  when  I  talk  of  it; 
for  I  shall  speak  as  a  wise  man  who  has  meditated  deeply  thereon, 
and  the  answer  that  has  come  to  nic  1  will  uroclaini  to  the  sound  of 
the  lyre.  (Here  is  the  riddle  expressed  in  the  popular  proverb: 
The  man  of  pomp  ahides  not  therein  :  like  the  biast  he  perishes.) 

1  am  templed  to  fear,  as  1  sulTer  from  cunning  and  wickedness 
on  all  sides  of  nie,  from  men  who  trust  in  their  wealth  and  boast 
of  their  vast  riches.  But  why  should  I  be  afraid?  Not  one  can 
save  himself  from  death  by  giving  God  a  ransom :  for  the  ransom 
of  the  soul  is  too  co>tly,  ana  the  man  must  leave  life  forever.  Yea, 
he  shall  assuredly  see  the  grave.  For  the  rich  fool.  Icspite  his 
worldly  wisdom,  perishes,  and  leaves  his  weahli  to  others.  The 
grave  is  his  eternal  home,  even  though  he  has  called  whole  lands  his 
own.  The  man  of  pomp  abides  not  therein ;  like  the  beast  he  per- 
ishes. This  is  the  fate  of  all  who  are  foolishly  confident  and  who 
boast  of  their  wealth.  Death  drives  them  into  the  grave,  as  the 
shepherd  his  sheep,  and  down  they  go;  and  soon  their  image  fades 
away  in  the  grave  which  is  their  home. 

But  God  himself  shall  redeem  my  soul  from  the  hand  of  the  grave. 
Yes,  he  sliall  t.ike  iiie  to  himself. 

So  the  sight  of  i!ie  rich  man  with  his  vast  wealth  need  not  make 
thee  afraid;  for  not  a  fragment  of  it  all  can  he  take  with  him  when 
he  dies,  nor  can  his  wealth  go  down  after  him  into  the  grave.  For 
though  he  deeined  himself  happy  in  his  life-time  and  was  praised 
for  his  Rood  fortune,  yet  ir.  the  end  he  must  dwell  with  h\<  fathers 
in  their  home  of  everlasting  darkness.  The  man  of  pomp  abides  not 
therein ;  like  the  beast  he  perishes. 

Explain  to  yourself  ever>'  phrase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly 

modern  and  unconventional  lanRiiage. 

I  he  success  of  your  effort  will  be  best  tested  by  writing  a  para- 
phrase of  your  own. 


THE  FORTY-S'ISTH  PSAUf 


6l 


Sixth  Day  :  9ti»ts  for  Conitttration 

,  •  .\  man's  Jife  consistcth  not  in  ihe  abundance  of  the  thiiiRs 
which  he  possesseth"  (Uike  12:  i.O.  I*  "ot  mttch  of  our  eager 
l,fe  a  practirnl  denial  nf  this  word  of  JcM.s? 

X  Consider  (a)  .he  parable  of  .he  nch  /V"'''  fj.  f.^'  ' 
(h)  the  parable  of  the  rich  nun  ;in<l  Uzanis  (Luke  16.19-31).  "> 
the  light  01  the  teaching  of  this  psalm.  .  , 

,  In  Mark  10:  24  we  read.  "How  hard  is  it  lor  the,  that  nut 
in  riches  to  enter  into  the  k.ngdon,  of  C.odr  It -s  ^^'^^1^^^^;^^^^''^;^ 
ever,  that  many  good  manuscripts  om.t  >h'-  phrase  that  tnist 
riches"  Those  who  ha-r  riches  may  enter  nU,>  the  kinR-l.-n  ot 
God.  though  with  difficulty  (verse  23);  but  for  those  who  trust  n> 
riches  (cf.  Ps.  40 : 6)  it  is  not  only  hard,  but  impossible- 

4  Do  you  thtnk  the  wr.ter  of  this  psalm  has  a  surer  hold  of  the 
future  life  than  the  writer  of  Fs  .W?   Compare  Psalm  39=7  (and 

'^Itad'psa!m^;3:«-^.  and  note  the  writers  pow.ful  con- 
sc.ousness  of  the  divine  presence  with  h.tn  m  this  world,  as  well 
as  his  faith  that  afterwards  he  wi!l  be  tak.  n  to  glory. 

6  The  following  quotation  from  i-.iv-ym.r ,  perhaps  the  finest  of 
the  Morality  ph    -hat  have  come  down  to  t-s  tron,  the 

s  a  remarkably  ^  ..d  illusUaUon  of  the  teach.ng  of  the  P^alm.  It. 
peculiar  appositenc  .  will  excuse  the  length  of  the  quotation.  Even^- 
n  an.  who  Represents  humanity.  ,s  summoned  by  Death  to  go  on  K^s 

ong  journey  In  his  distress  he  ..ppeals  in  turn  to  Fellowship.  Kin- 
dred and  (iods  (that  is.  Riches),  but  they  all  renounce  and  forsake 
S  The  extract  is  taken  from  the  dialogue  of  Lveryman  with 
Goods: 


man: 

Come  hither.  Good,  in  all  the  haste  thou  may; 
For  of  counsel  I  must  desire  thee. 

Sir,  an  ye  in  the  world  have  orrow  or  adversity. 

That  can  I  help  you  to  remedy  shortly. 

It  is  another  disease  that  gnevcth  me; 

In  this  world  it  is  not,  I  tell  thee  so 

I  am  sent  for  another  way  to  go, 

To  give  a  strait  account  general 

Before  the  highest  Jupiter  of  all; 

And  all  my  life  I  have  had  my  pleasure  in  thee, 

Therefore  I  pray  thee  now  go  with  me ; 


63  TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 

For.  prradventwre,  thoa  maynt  before  God  Almighty 

My  rcckonitiR  help  to  clean  and  purify, 

Kor  it  is  said  ever  among, 

That  money  makcth  all  right  that  is  wrong. 
C.      Nay.  nay,  Everyman,  I  sing  another  song; 

1  follow  no  man  in  such  vt)yagf-i. 

For,  an  I  went  with  thee, 

Tlioti  shouldest  fare  much  the  worse  for  me; 

For  because  on  me  thou  didde^t  ~(  t  tin-  mind, 

Thy  reckoning  1  have  made  blotted  and  bhnd, 

That  thine  account  thoii  c.innot  make  truly; 

And  that  hast  thou  fur  the  love  of  me. 
J-       That  would  grieve  me  full  .sore. 

When  I  should  come  to  that  fearful  answer; 

Up,  and  let  us  go  thither  t.'Kether. 
G.      Nay,  not  so;  I  am  to«i  brittle,  I  may  not  endure; 

I  will  follow  no  man  one  foot,  be  ye  sure. 

*   •    «  * 

E.       Ah.  Good,  thou  hast  lonp  had  my  hearty  love ; 

I  gave  thee  that  which  should  be  the  Lord's  above; 

But  wilt  thou  not  go  with  me  indeed? 

I  pray  thee  truth  to  say. 
G.      No.  so  God  me  speed ; 

Therefore  farewell,  and  have  good  day. 
E.      Oh,  to  whom  shall  1  make  my  moan. 

For  to  go  with  me  in  that  heavy  journey? 


THE  FORTY-NINTH  PSALM  ^ 
Seventh  Day:  ©witim 

I  What  is  your  personal  attitude  to  nwney? 

i.  What  is  Christ's  teaching  about  money? 

t  What  is  the  place  of  numcy  in  the  kiiiBdom  of  Ooflf 

(Smc  that  L  weultlty  men  who.-  fate  the  Psalmut  ««- 
templates,  are  not  only  wealthy,  but  wicked  ^^"^^J^  J^ 
last  vcr,e  in  the  English  version  of  the  psalm    -^f"  " 
In  honor  anJ  und.rsiandcth  not  is  hke  the  beasts  ha 
oerish."  is  probablv  wmnR;  there  i>  only  a  single  letter  of 
Knee  in  the  or.ginal.  between  th.  and  -Man  ,n  honor 
abideth  nof  (verse  ,2).    Nevertheless  the  ^vord,  rcprc^.n 
H  great  trnth.    It  is  the  rich  fool,  the  rich  man  -^ho  has  n.. 
insight  int..  the  real  place  and  meaning  of  money,  who 
perishes.)  . 

A  Would  you  be  contented,  if  you  were  very  poor. 

t  So  you  ever  contemplate  your  own  death?   Has  the  thought 

fit  any  real  influence  upon  your  conduct  and  aims.  .  . 

6  What  al:  your  chief  aims  in  life?  Will  yo«  be  glad  to  have 

herished  them,  when  yoti  come  to  die? 


THE  Firry-si.coxD  FSAI.M  *>7 
riKST  Day  :  Cbf  Cftt  of  tbe  Pialm 

Why  glory  in  mi>cliitf.  thou  imnhiy  man? 

The  mercy  of  C.id  is  all  the  day. 
Thy  tongue  dcviscth  ruin.  ,  ,  , 

Like  a  whetted  razor,  thou  worker  of  fr«ud. 
Thou  love-t  evil  and  not  good. 

Lies,  and  not  nnht  ^-luakmg; 
Thou  lovest  all  voraciou';  words 

Thou  deceitful  tongue  I 

Cut  (]od.  on  hx>  part,  shall  tear  thee  down  forever. 

(irasp  thee,  and  pull  thee  out  of  the  tent. 

And  rtyot  thee  out  of  the  land  of  the  Uvinj. 
The  righteous  shall  see,  and  fear. 

..,^^r  t;lv^ay.  "there  is  the  great  nun  that  n.adc  not  God 
his  stronghold. 
But  trusted  in  the  mass  of  hi-  ru  !us, 
And  felt  strong  in  his  substance. ' 

But  as  for  me.  I  am  in  God's  house  like  a  green  ol.vc  tree: 

I  trust  in  God's  mercy  for  ever  and  aye. 
I  will  prai-e  thee  forev.r.  berau^e  th.n.  h:.,t  -lone  this. 

And  1  will  wait  on  thy  name— for  it  is  good— 

In  the  presence  of  those  that  love  thee. 

Meditate  upon  the  psalm  carefully,  and  without  the  aid  bonks, 
until  you  have  some  «iequate  idea  of  it.  in  deu.1  and  as  a  whole. 


68 


77:  V  STCD/fS  /.V  THE  PSALMS 


Sin  (.M)  l)\v   (Tbf  /atf  of  arrorncr  (emrg  1=5) 

I.  It  i>  .|uiti'  i.rtam  that  tlu-  superscriptions  formed  no  part  of 
the  oriRiiial  psdms.  and  many  scholars  lay  little  or  no  ?trcs.  ,ipo„ 
them  in  ihiir  efforts  to  discover  tli.  ,kc:i^  .11  an.!  ori^'in  of  a  p-  iln 
Whatever  may  be  sa,.l  ,,f  the  propriety  of  the  uni^tiallv  elab.Kale 
superscription  to  P-,,l,n  5J.  there  can  be  no  doubt  that'  ihe  p>alni 
IS  much  more  than  a  ine<!itation :  a  emerges  out  of  a  very  vivid  and 
dehnite  historical  situation. 

J.  The  man  addressed  so  abruptly  an. I  in.nu-allv  as  a  ••luro" 
•  miKhty  n:an"  in  the  f^rst  verse  is  deMr.he  l.  hrrth  „„lee.i  but  1:, 
'■■^H  lie.  so  .harp  a.ul  eh:,r  that  ue  can  aln,o.;  f,,u  v  ue  .ee  Ins  sleek 
t.He.  and  hear  the  l)oastf,il  w.irds  roll  from  his  foolish  lips 
II.  is  well  to  <lo.  with  such  an  almndance  of  weslth  to  trust  in- 
like  the  man  who  vexed  the  singer  of  I'salni  40  (verse  (,).-t-  ,t  ii,e 
wisdom  or  necessity  of  trustiuR  .11  Cod  never  oecurs  to  him  (verse 
;)  lie  is  clearly  a  man  of  power  and  importance;  his  downfall 
conhrms  the  faiih  of  the  r.Khteous  in  a  moral  order,  and  is  wel- 
comed by  them  with  jubilation  (verse  fi)  In  particular  he  uses 
his  intluence  in  treacherous  and  despicable  uavs;  he  is  cunning  and 
a  bar.  His  tonRuc  is  a  tongue  of  -lec  it :  he  loves  ju  s  rather  than 
truth.  tho.i«h  that  is  but  .,ne  tnar.ifostation.  within  the  sphere  of 
words,  of  a  .haracter  iliat  •'loves  evil  rather  than  good"  (verse  3). 

.V  But  p.  w.:  and  cnnninp  usually  go  hand  in  hand  with  cruelty, 
and  this  ••Ikio"  was  no  exception.  Espeeiallv  did  Ins  erueltv  reve.'d' 
Itself  through  that  subtlest  me.lmni  of  all.  the  nie.i:tini  of'  speech 
His  words  we.e  v..rae„.„s  u,,rds.  that  "devoured''  his  neinhbors-- 
Iheir  iKae.,  their  property,  their  reputation,  perhaps  their  iife.  His 
toiiRue  w.is  like  a  r.i/or  whetted  to  the  finest  edge,  so  that  it  should 
cut  deep.  No  wonder  that  with  his  wealth,  inthience.  and  disregard 
of  God.  he.  utterinR  Iviastful  words,  vexe.l  right, ons  souls 

4.  But  the  I'sahnist  ba-  to,.  ,|.  ,  p  a  faith  in  the  in.ir.l  ..r.ler  !o  be 
permanently  vex..!  b>  sucb  a  man.  He  will  onlv  have  his  day.  and 
his  end  will  be  destruction.  God  (verse  5).  whom  this  hragRan  has 
wnored  (verse  7i.  may  be  trusted  to  upb,.l,!  the  in,.ral  >r'«veri,„,ent 
of  his  world:  and  in  a  succession  ,.f  powerful  ti^-ur, th,  P-aliTiist 
.  xpresses  his  eariu-st  f.iith  >n  -h,  ,vrtair.ty  of  sueh  a  i.i.nn's  ,!,  -.rm-- 
tion  lie  shall  be  f.rn  d,.wn.  as  a  lofty  tower  is  demolished  (satw 
u,.id  as  Jn.iRes  s  .)'  :  he  shall  be  -ei^ed.  as  a  piece  nf  ,.,,al  is  sei^d 
with  the  longs;  he  shall  he  phu !  >  d  out  of  bis  tent;  an<l  d,<plv  s 
he  seems  to  be  rooted,  he  shall  b,  t.,rn  tip  by  the  r.x.ts  an,l.  as  it 
w.re.  hurled  out  of  the  land  ,.f  the  livinR  .Ml  men  nni^t  ,1-e, 
but  the  Psalmist  anticipates  f  .r  this  -hero"  a  swift  and  vi,.l-nt 
doom.    That  is  his  faith  and  his  ,ons.datinn. 


Till-  l-ll' !  y  Sl-.CoMi  I  S.U.M 
Third  Day  :  Cbt  Jop  of  tbe  J«it|)ful  (l)tr>»  d  9) 


69 


1.  Ill  two  wa\>  docs  the  Psalmist  reconcile  himjclf  to  the  exist- 
ence of  the  puwertul  and  unscrupulous  hraggart  wIm  vexed  hiin ; 
lir>t.  as  we  have  seen,  by  contemplating  his  lernhle  and  irrevnalilo 
d.H)ni,  and  sei-ondly.  by  putting  him  into  his  proper  perspective  ni 
the  w.irld.  Alter  all,  he  was  only  as  a  spot  on  the  -sun.  lie  iniglit 
1  a>t  and  he;  nevertheless,  "the  mercy  of  God  was  all  the  day" 
(■er.e  i  ).  This,  after  all.  thr  >luiKiidoii>  i.ict.  in  cnnip.iri-  Mi 
with  which  all  the  other  facts  that  tempt  men  to  murmur  and  doubt 
are  as  nothing. 

2.  But  apart  from  that  great  and  radiant  fact,  which  i>  tlu- 
siiblimest  of  all  conMilations  to  those  that  have  eyes  to  sec  it,  the 

(l,.om  of  such  a  "luro"  as  is  desciilied  in  v.-r^.-,  13  is  certain;  and 
when  good  men  see  it,  they  shall  fear,  tliat  is,  they  .hall  reverence 
this  mysterious  power,  which  so  surely  nwkes  for  riKlne n. 
and  they  shall  lau^h  at  their  fallen  enemy.  From  a  Christian  stand- 
luiint,  such  an  expression  of  satisfaction  may  seem  unworthy;  but. 
accordinn  to  the  n>uK'-  of  tl.e  Old  re.tanunt,  tlu.  is  not  the  ma 
licious  laughter  of  a  petty  (KTsonal  triumph,  but  the  laughter  of 
joy  at  the  vindication  of  the  moral  order. 

3.  The  '  hero"  has  had  his  turn,  now  it  is  the  turn  of  the  right 
eous;  and  they  will  s.iy:  "Look!  there  is  the  man  that  trusted  in 
In.  money,  ami  not  in  his  Cod  "  The  man  of  l.MUg  t<mgue,  of 
materialisiii  ambitions  and  temper,  is  .1  practical  at!ui~t.  whatever 
be  his  protV-sion;  and  this  is  the  end  »l  liim.  I  lie  moiu>  111  wIikU 
he  trusted  will  do  nothing  for  him.  when  Cod  comes  to  upr.Mii 
him  out  of  the  land  of  the  living  (cf  Ps.  49 7):  and  the  heart 
of  the  righteous  is  eased,  and  their  faith  confirmed  (verse  6).  as 
they  see  such  a  one  swept  suddenly  auay  from  the  place  where  l.c 
wrought  so  much  harm. 

4.  The  moral  order,  however,  has  its  positive  as  well  as  its  nega- 
tive vindication.  The  arrogant  blusterer  shall  be  torn  down  from 
111-  pedestal;  ■■hm  as  for  me.  I  am  in  Cod^  house  like  a  green 
oiive  tree."  He  has  no  fear  of  beiiiR  lorn  up  b\  the  root. :  like  an 
olive  tree,  he  tlourislus.  He  will  not  lie  swept,  by  -ome  sud.U  ii  gust 
of  doom,  off  the  land  of  the  living;  he  has  his  place  secur-  a-  a 
^ucst  in  the  house  of  God  (perhaps  originally  the  temple).  Ami 
uhv:'  Bevaiise  iny  tri;-t  is  — not  in  the  multitude  of  my  riches 
r.rse  7).  hut— m  Cods  mercy  for  ev-i  ..lu!  ever."  Desolation, 
anmhil..iion,  on  the  "le  hand;  heautv.  prosper, tv.  -..cunty.  .  n  ihe 
other.  Such  is  the  inhnite  difference  between  the  di>tinies  of  the 
good  and  the  bad. 

5.  The  Psalmist  having  beheld,  at  least  with  the  eye  of  faith,  the 


TO  TEX  STLDJES'  IX  THE  rSALMS 

vindication  of  the  moral  order,  which  means  the  triumph  of  the 
kiiiRdoni  of  (lod.  vows  to  praise  him  forever,  because  he  has  secured 
this  \  inciu  atiiiii  -  'l  tnuiiiph.  ,iiul  h>  pniil.iiiii  k''""''1<"-s  (i"", 
according  to  the  iirdin.iry  text,  to  v\ait  uixin  lus  name,  that  is,  him- 
self) in  the  presence  of  his  loyal  servants. 


Till:  I'll  I  y  >■/  c  < '  v/i  /'.v.  i;  u 


i-otiMii  Day:  flTbe  i«fB0ast  of  tbt  pwlm  for  £Ib 

1    ihe  .litT.  r.iuc  l.ctw.-cn  ihi-  .U-tiiiiis  of  the  r™m1  anil  the  bad 
m  a  favorn.-  tlunu-  ..|  thr  |.^,.lnu^i~  (.f  l'-.  it:  Init  tin-  first  verse 
of  this  psAlm  M-ts  tlic  moral  .in...iialK>  of  the  w.irl.l  in  a  tre.h  an.l 
striking  light.   The  bf)asting  of  the  big  man,  his  ealinmu.  s  ati.l 
hi,  oriu  lties.  may  lie  vexatious  enough :  but  they  have  httle  power 
to  (le-irov  the  peace  of  the  man  who  remembers  that  "the  mercy  of 
(-.od  is         the  day."'    Those  may  1m   ureal   iact~.  but  tllis  i.  an 
infmitclv  greater  fact;  ami  the  art  of  hai.p:"> e..!iM-t-  in  <vvmg 
life  in  ks  true  perspective.    The  love  o,'  („..l       exiue-..l  m  t!u 
fr.shne-.    i  the  morning,  in  the  ble-.se.l  repose  of  the  ms'lit,  iii  the 
mysierioti-.  succession  of  the  seasons.  see.Itime  and  harvest,  summer 
.aul  wint.  r.  i:i  l!ie  slimulus  of  work,  m  the  joys  of  frien.lship  ami 
love,  in  the  hopes  and  the  consoliiio,,.  of  religion-that  love  is 
all  t'hedav:  it  is.  when  we  consi.l.  v  it  .wll.  the  one  ew  rla-tmg  an.l 
uverul-.r'ming  f.ict  of  experience.    .\tul  when  we  can  s,e  the  inci 
.le.its  whuh  .listress  or  perplex  us.  against  that  glorious  backgrouml. 
we  lia.r  niastere.l  the  secret,  not  only  of  l^ing  resigned  to  our  lot. 
but  of  rejoicing  in  it  evermore     i  i  I  lie^s  5  :  i^i). 

2  We  .ire  also  reminded  bv  tins  r-alni  ot  tlu'  d.  a.lly  i-w.-r  ot  an 
„„,ha-tened  tongue.  The  TK-ro"  ot  the  psalni  was  n.ii.  powert.,1. 
cunning,  and  radically  bad:  but  it  is  worthy  of  note  that,  though 
furnished  with  s„di  an  e,|u,pnunt  f..r  evil,  it  is  up^n  the  nun 
wrought  by  his  wicked  tongue  that  the  I's.ilm.sl  concentrates  his 
chief  attention.  Most  of  Ins  haU  tul  power  .  xpress,  ,!  ,tselt  tlu  re 
like  a  razor,  it  cut  deep  and  sharp  imo  the  reputations  ot  ,.i!ier 
men:  like  an  ..pen  grave  ( Ps.  5:0).  it  swallowed  them  >'P  And 
the  destnict;...!  described  m  th-  dreadful  words  of  verse  5  f''t  by 
the  Psalmist  to  be  mine  to.,  'errihle  for  the  man  of  sharp  and 
slanderous  tongue. 

3.  Christian  sentiment  may  be  shocked  hy  such  ,1  confe-M,,n  oi 
faith  -  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  there  is  nothing  ignoble  in 
the  standpoint  .>f  the  Oil  re-'ainent.  It  is  but  the  vehement  ex- 
pression of  a  passionate  belief  m  tlu'  Tt'or.d  ord.  r.  an.l  a  .les.re  to 
see  its  consummation  h.islened.  It  is  Miri.n  y.  .nd.  to  a  Christian 
sense,  disappointing,  to  tind  two  psalms  s,,  n,.l,lr  as  104  .,n.l  1  ^.j 
en.ling  as  they  do.  with  a  prayer  for  the  obliteration  ot  th.  uuk,, 
But  It  is  iKcause  the  Psalmist  is  himself  so  astonish.d  at  the  g.K-d^ 
ness  of  Jehovah  ..t  which  th.   w..rld  is  so  full  (104)    so  overawed 


»Some.  who  think  this  clause  to,,  ahnipt  lor  .udi  a  conieM,  aii'.. 
the  text,  by  a  very  simple  change,  to  read.  ■  Why  ilost  thou  boa.s;t 
thyself  against  the  godly  man  continually  ?" 


72  TEX  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 

by  the  thought  of  his  loving  omniprescncf  ( i.M  i.  that  he  f.ds  there 
.■■m  lie  no  uUimate  place  in  the  world  for  nun  who  ignore  that 
,,r,  ..  nre  an<1  <lefv  that  Roodnrs-^.  I  ho^e  npon  whom  the  psalmists 
„r., recite  tlu-  .hvine  \.nKeanee  are  not  simply  personal  enemies; 
ll„y  are  enemies  nf  C  hI  ,,u.1  of  m-rality  (.'f  Ps  04:  L  6)-  We 
clarc  not  take  their  vioh  nt  wnr.K  upon  our  U\>- :  bnt  it  would  U'  well 
f.,r  lis  if  we  more  ftillv  shared  their  passionate  faith  m  the  ilivine 
government  of  the  world,  of  which  those  words  are  but  the  vehement 
expression. 


y//£  Firry  si.cosn  is.u  m  n 

I'll  1 II  Hw    Pararbrasr  of  tbf 

Why  <lost  thou  brag,  O  blalant  lur...  ..f  tlic  rum  ih.m  art  u-rkinR 
NMth  thv  sharp  and  deadly  tongttc?    Despite  it.  and  niimlitu  r  tl  .m  iL 

tlK-  ra.il.tMt  nurov  ut  (j-kI  vshich  fills  every  day  and  all  the  day. 
Uut  tlmu-  .ilttciKMis  are  set  uii  cmI  and  f,.l-ih,.od.  un  ruimnis  and 
deceitful  v\ords,  and  not  on  go.Hliu--  aiul  luitli. 

Thou  Shalt  have  thy  reward.  Ijod  m  ill  make  an  utter  end  ot  thee, 
seizing  thee  as  one  seizes  coal  with  the  tongs.  He  shall  tear  thee 
out  ol  the  tent,  ai.d  ruot  lliee  out  of  th.-  laiul  ..l  llie  living,  to  the 
delight  ot  the  righteou..  who  sliall  exuli  wh<n  ihey  see  it.  Such, 
they  nil!  say,  is  the  fat.-  of  the  man  wli-^  r-^e-umptuously  trusts  in 
the  power  of  his  vast  riches,  instead  of  in  God. 

But  I.  too.  have  my  reward.  I  flourish  like  the  green  olive  trees 
Ml  tlie  temple  court,  because  my  tru.<t  is  in  the  mercy  of  God  con- 
tinually. 1  will  praise  thee  forever  because  of  thy  providence,  and 
I  will  wait  upon  thee  in  the  presence  of  thy  people. 

Explain  to  yourself  every  phrase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly 

nioilern  and  i.'.c.  >iiventii 'IliI  laiiniiaf;', . 

The  >ucce>s  of  your  effort  will  be  best  tested  by  writing  a  para- 
phrase of  your  own. 


74  TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 

Sixth  Day  :  PoiKts  fw  €nMUn»itm 

t  "The  storm,  the  rain  slowly  rotting  the  harvot.  dul.lr.n  sick 
..,„.■>.'  M,  vcllars  are  obvious;  but  equally  obvious  arc  an  cvcnn.g  m 
Juiu  tlK  -UI.Kiit  of  men  and  women  in  one  another,  m  music,  ano 

intlu'.xrruM-..(thoUKlU."-;/.irWx../;<.T/c.rJ 

2.  -\U>  l^mer  broken  at  Mar,tun  .NUkt.  Charles  I  was  a  hos  aRO 
„r  a  prisoner  m  the  Scottish  camp  at  Newark.  Ihe  .runn,l>.mt 
„,„n.ur.  ...suited  tl.e.r  captive  by  or.!--nng  Psalm  Si  ^<^_  ^""K- 
•\\  l,v  lH.a>UM  tl.ou  thyself,  thou  ty  i^i.  that  thou  canst  do  mischief; 
whemi,  th.  g.H,a.,.>s  uf  (.0.1  ....  yot  daily?'  It  was  by_  an 
a,,,.eal  to  the  Fsaln.s  that  Charle,  rul.b..!  the  insult  of  its  sting 
I  s  only  reply  was  to  ask  for  I'salm  56:  'Be  .mrc.tul  un,o  ..u.  ( 
Z  .,1  ....U  abom  to  devour  me-  he  is  da.ly  h«h..ng^  an-. 

troLl.hnK  n>e.  Mine  et.en.ies  are  daily  .n  hand  to  swallu.  mc  ivp , 
Ir  tlu  v  iK-  .na,.y  .Ik,.  ...lu  aR.i.-M  nu-,  O  TI,o„  Most  Highest.  - 

(Prolltcro.  The  P.sal.ns  in  Human  Life.  i>  -M-'  )  . 

^  ,  On  the  vanity  of  outward  relifi,..,.  -  ..  .a;  '•"••'-■'■•">^7';  ,  > 

a  Ve.ohi.e  control  of  the  tongue,  see  the  su.k.ng  word  oi  James 

"V  ^J^„es  seems  to  have  b.  ..,,  >P-.ial!y  i.npressed  by  the  penis  and 
responsibilities  of  ..peech.    Cmsukr  ^-^/.^'^''^  ,  Matthew 

iV  there  any  word  of  Jesus  on  tins  sul««t?    (cf.  Matthew. 

"s.'n.e  cursin,?  psalms  need  not  be  defended:  but  how  may  they 

be  explained?   . 

Note  that  theii-  viokn;  temper  is  s.>mrt,mes.  even  m  the 
Old  Testament,  expressly  or  implicitly,  r.  i>ud.ate.l  l  he 
great  sufferer  in  Psalm  22  utters  no  prayer  ^-^r'''^;^''^' 
and  Job  (3. :  29,  30),  in  his  noble  defence,  makes  the  re- 
roarkable  claim: 

••N\  w  r  .11.1  I  rejoice  at  the  destruction  of  him  that  hated  me. 
O,  hti.a  myself  up  when  calamity  overtot*  him: 
N>  v.T  liiil  I  -ufTt  r  .uy  uunitli  to  sin. 
By  a-kitig  his  life  with  .1  .'ir-^e  " 
6.  Consider  the  precious  fellow sh.p  mto  which  the  man  of  faith  is 
brought  (verse  9)- 


THE  FIFTY-SECOND  PSALM  75 
Seventh  Day:  ©WitWM 

I  U  the  -nurcv  "f  f.-'.l"  a  nal  fact  t,.  you? 
2.  Where  ao  you  fuHl     m  your  .M..  r..ncc? 

i„  ,lu  »l«.y  and  order  of  .he  world  without,  tlu  a.r  aud  tlu-  .«  ■ 
;;;;  ;;„;"!";  and  the  rain.  a.  well  a,  in  the  inner  experience?  Icf.  V*. 

"'4.^  Is'the  .nercy  of  God  so  real  and  .0  preciott,  to  you  that  you 
can  ren,ain  trustful,  contented,  and  «l:ui.  u,  tlu-  f;-' ^  '^^ 
5.  Has  anyone's  peace  or  reputation  ever  ^ulf.r.d  tr.nn  > 

l.!"ou  -ftu  u  n.lv  recognise  that  the  d.sopU.u.ig  of  .ho  ton«uo 

''l^  '^Z  ,:r  ,,r.na,  e.perlcnc..  of  the  deep 

aoi  WWet  joy  expressed  in  verse  t>  of  Psahu  5^. 


STUDY  VIll 


lOOCOrV  MSOIUTION  TBT  CHMT 
I ANS4  and  SO  TfST  CHAITT  Ho.  3) 


THE  NINETIETH  PSALM 


79 


First  Day  :  Oe  Cfltt  tf  t|)c  P 

Lord,  thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place 

In  all  generations. 
Ere  the  mountains  were  bom. 

Or  the  earth  ami  the  world  were  brought  forth. 
From  everlasting  to  everlasting  art  thou.  O  God. 

Thou  turncst  man  back  to  clu^t,  ,^ 

And  sayest.  "Keturii,  ye  cluklren  of  men. 
For  a  thousand  years  arc  in  thy  ^lght 

But  as  yesterday,  when  it  is  past, 
And  a»  a  watch  in  the  night. 

Thou  .lost  >weep  tlutn  a«ay  l,ke  a  floo.l ;  they  fall  a>leep.» 

They  arc  like  the  gras.  whioli  gruw;,  up: 
In  the  morninK  it  bl.>s>onis  am!  grow,  up. 

In  the  evening  it  is  cut  down  and  witliers. 

For  we  arc  consumed  through  thine  anger. 

And  through  thy  wrath  are  we  confounded. 
Thou  hast  set  our  iniiiuuie";  bef.".-  thee. 

Our  secret  sins  in  the  light  m  thy  eo-itenanee. 
For  all  our  days  decline  by  reason  of  thy  wrath, 

We  spend  our  years  as  a  sigh. 

Our  years,  at  their  height,  are  seventy, 

Or.  .It  the  utnio-t.  eighty : 
Yet  is  their  breailth  but  mil  an.l  trouble  : 

For  quickly  it  pa-'-e,.  and  we  ily  ,i\say. 

Who  recognizes  the  power  of  tbme  anger? 
And  who  st.inds  in  (wise)  .iwc  of  thy  wrath? 

()  tr.icli  n-  ^o  to  nuinluT  our  days, 

I  hat  «e  in..y  rt.ip  the  harve-t  of  a  wise  heart. 

Return,  ()  Jeho\;ih!    How  long? 

And  have  piiy  uiK)n  thy  >er\,intv 
Satisfy  us  in  the  morrmg  witli  tliy  kindIu•^s. 

That  all  our  days  we  may  Ik-  glad  and  jubilant. 
Make  u,  glad  in  proportion  to  the  <l.-iys  ..f  our  affliction. 

To  the  y.arx  of  .,ur  M.rrnwiul  experience.    

.By  a  very  -nnple  changf.  one  scholar  hiTluggeste^d  a  rc  ^liuK 
which  harmon,/...  .dnnrably  with  th<  following  metaphor:  1  Ivu 
doft  sow  them  year  by  year  " 


80  TLX  STrniJiS  IX  Tim  r:)ALM^ 

Let  thy  doing  be  seen  of  thy  servants, 
And  thy  glory  upon  their  children. 

Let  the  favor  of  Jehovah  our  God  be  upon  us. 
And  the  work  of  our  hands  establish  upon  us: 
The  work  of  our  hands — establish  it. 


1.  Comn 't  the  psalm  to  memory  in  any  version  you  please. 

2.  Meditate  upon  it  carefully,  and  without  the  aid  of  books,  until 
you  have  sonic  adequate  idea  of  it,  in  detul  and  as  a  whole. 


iiir.  Mxr.Tir.TH  PSAUf 

Si  tosn  Day  :  Cbt  «rr»ttp  Ml  Life 
(DrT«t«  t  8) 

,  Tin-  writer  of  tin.  uM.  r-Ln  «...  d-n-ly  moved  by  two  Krcat 

.,.,0 on.,..  n,.|  .K-u.  -"'7- V * 

...mess  of  human  li.V.  a.ul  the  ct.rnU>  -l  t-.l     I  1'     '  '  « 
,  ,  ,.rlK.r  ,.art  of  the  psalm  .s  so  larR.  a,..l  K.;.Kral  tlu.  n  " 
,,   ..    J.r.k..l  a>  a  lament  over  all  hunum  l.te:  every  -nan  .an 
^  ,    .  i     '.l,n,n  unr.U  Ins  own.    BlU  from  verse       at  any 

red  ..n  U.  balf  of  Krael ;  and  .lu-  .arl,.  r  ,,ar,  of  h  psMm 

!:;r;s-:;;:r:!fi:;^;;:t^ 

.  The   ^vord   «..h   xsln.h   th.  p-alm  open,  is  not  the  t.n  r 
••i;i„  v  h,"  >nu  the  n,aKMi.  '  I-ord."  a  .nnn.  word  to  mtrodu  c 
,..  ,  as  ,he  c;od  of  eterm.y.    Ye.  .hough  n.a,e..K-.  we  arc  rem  nd  d 
hV  verv  outset  that  he  is  aNo  gracous  "a  dwelhnK-,'la> " 
,  '  an  .    or  LracK^l  a«e  after  age,"    The  >trong 
:     ,o  be  eternal;  but  God  wa.  l.cfore  them,  .x.sttng  from  the  t^n^ 
;hmkable  pa>,.  on  through  the  life  of  mounta.ns  and  men.  to  the 
unimaginable  future.  .     *,  i,;  t'  ■ 

thirty  generat.on>  of  nun  t  .  tr-.^r  .,  i 

1    J  J,..   v»ct,.r<1av  nav   -  lorter  than  tli.tt  -part  ot  ,i  .laj. 
V.il-UM  call*  u|.  iniase  afu-t  iniHC  lo  >"e«'-'        "'  ■ '  1'""'  ^  ' 

falls,  and  the  oronn-e  ren,,.,n.  ,    .nd  s-.d  k  all  is  when 

is  flying  swiftly  into  the  n.ght     Ih-w  brief  and        «  ' 
^a«d  m  comrast  w.th  the  caln.  and  ,         ^  l^r. 

4.  Now  why  should  l.felH.- so  >ad  and  .o,hort     1   _a        ^  ^ 

P   ..nist.  the  an..  Icl'Sll  a,  that 

angry      Becau.^  o.  o  r    n.  u 

given  in  Oenesis  i.    H  lit.  i-  ^  „  ,ife 

.an  has  sinned  and  Oo,l  ^'^^^'^^^  jll^eof  he  speaks. 

IS  of  man-s  own  making.    Ihc  1  -a..!i!-t  k- 


fo  TF.x  sTunins  ix  the  psalms 

His  ptnplf  arc  I'tKiuriiiK  the  sorrows  of  or  more  prohuWy  tlio 

sorrows,  jtist  as  kvvn.  that  followid  the  return  from  ixilc:  and 
thfsf  sorrows  arc  almost  invariably  interpreted  in  the  Did  I'cstanient 
as  punishment  for  sin.  So  it  was  no  mere  commonplace  confession, 
hut  one  wrunR  otit  of  the  depths  of  a  sorrowful  experience  spiritu- 
ally interpreted,  when  the  IValiiii  •  >aid,  "It  is  by  reason  of  thine 
anner  that  we  I  Krail)  are  roiiMUiied,  for  thoU  haSt  SCt  OUf  SCCfCt 

sins  in  the  light  uf  thy  countenance." 


THE  NINETIETH  FSALM 
Third  Day  :  llripftfar  Btitoratton  (Wrr«rt  «  17) 

,  The  Psalmist  has  not  yet  exhausted  h.s  conicmi.l..i,.m  ..(  tho 
„a  ho?uf  h  c       u-re  is  a  ..nsivc  sadness  al«ut  the  fanuhar  words 
•  We  >P  ,     .v,r  v.ar,      .  <M,-  ,n.,  ,s  .U' ■  bu,  the  more  correct 
tlslluo^  of  the  A„K..-ua„  V  .r.on  ,s  nn.ch  -re  touch.nK 

and  impressive.  "We  l.r.nK  -"r  year,  to  an  ..ul  a  s  '  ,  ^  ^ 
,„„rmur-l,r,cf  and  sad.    This  simple  word  »,n>n,ar...  >  tlu  th.  n^lu 

of  ilic  psalm  tluis  far.  , 

,  The  ISalnu.t  l....k,  cl.„cly  a,  ao.ual  hfo.  lake  a  long  I  . 
fo  comparison;  bm  no  h.o  .  I  m^  vvlun  "h-s"-  aKam,t  t  u- 
uncounted  years  of  him  to  whu.u  a  nn  U  nnuun  . -  ^^  'f^; 

Seventy  years,  eighty  at  most-wh-nt  is  that  a«a„.t         -  ;  ' 
••For  sw.ttly      P-ses.  and  like  a  b.rd       >i>  awa> 
do  those  brief  vcars  hr.nK?  what  but  to.l  and  trouble?   A  ..ad  enough 

'-f^^lX^^.  are  surely  fitted  .  t.aC  «s  scnnethmj^ 
and  the  wise  will  learn  therefrom.  Bu,  th.r.  are  .o  f  w  that 
possess  this  wisdom-"few  there  be  that  htu  U.  [^^^^^^^^^^ 
Psalmist,  realizing  that  .he  K-eat  tr.tRedy  of  hfe  '"^^t^J^,^ 
wronclv    if  U  W  not  in.Ue.l  a  greater  no,  to  .merpret  it  at  all. 

l^^Lx^A  n,av  h.,.elt  hrin.  th.  le  >  honu-  ,o  the  sU.KJ.sh 

Tarn  oJ  men.  Who  lays  to  heart  the  power  o,  " 
Ses  hat  life  is  sad  because  sin  has  brought  upon  .t  the  d.a>...  g 
Tand  of  God'  Wh-.  but  the  man  that  has  been  taught  b>  t.od  1  u m 
^^If  '    Hence  the  praver.  -To  number  our  days  so  teach  u.  that 

we  may  reap  the  harvest  of  a  w.e  an.l  --^^^^^  ^^r^. 

Hrrenier' -that  we  may  enter  through  the  l-^'-^l^'l^^^^^^'^ 

ThTbrevity  and  sorrow  of  life  are  fitted  to  teach  w.sdom  to  those 

vl  o  will  humbly  eonsem  to  be  taught. 

s  The  praver  that  follows  shows  that  Israel  >  pi  ph  sa- 

;„Ld    For  mlny  years  she  lu,l  been  artlice.l.    Her  Ood  seemed 
g^Te  aZ  f^om  her.    She  wa.  a„e,.p.in«  -.o    .gh  an 

needful  fask.  but  her  efforts  were  .le,ea,e,l  -v-n.^re^    An  wh 

of  hope  and  re.torat.on.  H  only  J'-*^"- ^^.T^...^  ,„  u.e.r 
manifest  th.ng  for  then,,  .n.erpose       ■ ' j  f,„„ 


84 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 


which  they  pray  shall  he  established— possibly  the  common  work 

(if  fvery  «l;iy  ;  Imt  iimrr  (irolwlily  llu  k''*''''  ii  iti' iH'il  wnrk  nf  Nrat'I, 
which,  at  the  tunc  thi.s  p>alin  was  written,  was  tlic  organising  of 
the  church,  her  worship,  and  her  life. 


THE  NISETIETH  PSALM  »5 
Fourth  Day  :       ftmtt  •«  tht  Pm1«  f-t  ^^i 

Tl„.  „  ,lK-  lUl.row  Ihnm  of  Eternity.   A*  Us  curl.cr  «u;c^.re 
a«.s  u.u„n  U.fore  us.  and  fi,!  with  a  rre«nc^hc 
presence  of  him  who  s.,s       h.s  .•,,rn,.l  .  . 
Lfore  the  gtt»t  mountains,  and  who  wll  U-  vslun  they  are  no 

""''%nd  in  that  presence,  how  strangely  sad  is  human  l.fe!  To 
c  xures  t  .ntwme  pathos,  the  Psalmist  exhausts  all  «  h-  nches  of 
,U  art  He  vexed  at  the  thought  of  ..s  unutterahle  fra.Uy.  The 
hIv!  .ie  lo  few-seventy  or  cRl.ty  year,  at  most-and  they  are  full 
SVoirrn't  ole  and  despite  U  all.  ...en  have  to  .o  <,own  to  t  .cjr 
"  ,v  l  uh  their  V,  rk  unestablishcd.  L.fe  has  Us  n.ormng.  hr  ght 
^ir^i^  but  hastens  imo  the  evening,  where  .t  w.t hers  and 
lost  t  is  r..,hlessly  swept  away  by  the  ..ncontrollable  tlood.  of 
.  U  I  ke  a  sleep  It  is  like  a  n.eadow-flower.  bright  m  the 
time.   It  .s  likt  a  sitep.    ».  ^  j^j^, 

morning  withered  m  the  ,h  ti.f  L.d  lost  forever, 

awav.  and  is  seen  no  more,   it  >»  HKc  a  sign,  > 
wr^ng Tom  a  heavily  laden  heart.   And  the  generat.ons  pass  hke 
th^rndividual  men;  they  hav.  their  day,  the.r  bnef.  ^ay-^^ 
g^bLk  to  the  dust.   Morn.ng  and  evening,  flounshmg  and  fading 
—all  thinss  pass  but  the  everlastniR  dod.  .  .  •„  ,1,- 

Thus"  th«e  two  thoughts  are  -st  intimately  connected  «n^^^^ 

ilmist  s  mind-the  fraihy  of  man  and  the  ^■''■7''>'  ^^"j'^^J^^^^ 
.         h:.v,-  sune  to  u-  times  without  number  of  the  saUncss  01 

and  many  who  are  not  serious,  can  tell  us  tnat,    nui  o 

Bibl.  ttot  il  '"""J"  "  .  On  Ihjt  f'U 

pott  puts  fnto  the  heart  of  his  tender  song-t<ood  .0  --'d^;'^''  ; 

ify  and  their  meaning;  but  good,  in  the  '^^'i^'^^^rV'^ ^ 
one  who  believes  that  behind  their  d.sc.phne  .»  the  hand  of  the 

TwS  h:r:h:^Vsa,mist  refuses  to  content  Vnmse.  with^the 
,^    ,ght  of  the  majesty,  the  infinity,  the  etermty  of        J"^' ^ 


t 

1 

tu 


86 


TEN  STUDIES  IS  THE  PSALMS 


asks  him  to  take  pity  and  to  make  his  people  glad.  He  tpeaki  of 
hiii  love  and  his  favnr.  He  asks  him  tit  ait  for  them,  and  gracioutly 
to  (five  th<  ir  history  a  niw  turn.    CUarly  ho  is  no  unbendinfc  f"^ 

<.f  iIk-  (  iiillr'--i  .•i;,'rs.  but  a  I\r-"n  with  a  ht  .irt  of  love.  wIidso 
gracious  iiiti-rposition  will  give  stnngth  and  :-iability  to  the  efforts 
of  feeble  human  hands. 

6.  Nay.  so  dear  is  this  thought  to  the  P.saiinist  that  he  expresses 
?t,  almost  in  spite  of  himself,  in  the  opfniiig  verses.  He  comes 
iiitii  (ioi|'>  pn  ^iiui'  pro^tr.iti'  lii  l'circ  lb.it  .nvtiil  iiiaiistv,  as  lie  think-, 
iif  liiin  as  lord  nf  all  thv  .iK"'^.  creator  of  thf  strnt  •  mountains. 
;irl>ii<T  of  all  tlu'  R.  nrraiii'ii-.  of  im  n.  Hut  almost  in\  >lunt -rily  he 
iHgins  with  the  wrrds,  "Lord,  thou  hast  l»ccn  piact  (« 
all  generations."  He  is  not,  then,  an  imper  mal  force  is  t1- 
everlasting  Ik'Iih-  of  his  jitoiilc.  '1  tn.r  !io  can  t- ai' 
God  in  the  In  j;imiinK  "f  his  prayer  has  aiicidy  answered  hi>  dot 

liy  .iiiticipation ;  he  possesses  a  consolation,  di  i'p  and  '  ik.  n 
amid  the  changes  and  impermancnce  of  this  earthly  life  of  »urs. 

7.  Sine    iWij  this  psahn  has  had  its  place  in  the  burial  sc 
of  tin-  Prayer  Iiook     In  its  original  inti  iition  it  \va<  clcar'v  ;i  jii 
for  li\uin  nun.  that  tluv  iniylit  In'  ililivrrcd  from  ariiiiti'>!\ 
th.it  tin-  work  which  lluir  hainl-  li.ni  Ixon  unsiicci's-fiiily  tin 
to  do  should  be  crowned  with  the  divine  favor.    Yet  there  i>  also 
fine  propriety  about  its  u«e  at  the  bnrial  of  the  de.id— not  onK 
I'.ecan-i  it  reiiiinds  the  liviiip,  with  >-tich  tendernc>s  and  power,  ni 
the  transitnce  of  a!!  tiling--  litiniaii.  Init  even  inor<'  iHTansc  it  open- 
vistas  into  that  eti  rii.il  w  orld  w  hich  know  s  tio  di  fi  it  .iiid  no  dec.iy. 
where  all  the  faithful  work  of  the  h.inds  of  the  dead,  and  of  the 
living  who  are  yet  to  die,  will  be  established. 


TUB  NISETIETH  PSALM 


'^7 


Fifth  Day:  ^waylnM tC t|t ^Mta 

O  Lord!  thou  hast  beto  our  eternal  home.  Ere  mountaint  or 
c»nh  were  bnmglit  forth,  thott  wert.  O  Go.l.  am!  thou  dost  con- 
tinue from  cvcrla>tmg  to  everlasting.  \i  'i.y  bi'WmK  tlu-  tr.iil 
generation*  of  men  return  to  the  dust.  Ages  an-  in  thy  -ighi  l)iit  a^ 
a  day  when  it  is  done— brief  as  a  watch  in  the  night.  I  he  gnu  r.i 
tions  of  im  ii  arc  i  wr  changing.  They  blossom  in  the  morning  like 
tlic  iiuailow  -iliiwi  r.  to  withrr  and  perish  in  the  cv<  ■  ing. 

l  lie  ,0  ow  of  our  hfc  i>  dae  to  our  sill.  I'or  1.  :^  turco  aiiRcr  of 
thine,  which  confounds  and  de^tr  •>>  ii>,  has  Ucn  kiiulled  !■>  <>iir 
transgressions,  which,  though  wc  ourselves  may  know  them  not. 
arc  yet  i.lam  in  thy  sight.  For  under  thy  sore  anger  41I  our  day* 
have  vanislud  away.  When  our  years  arc  over,  they  are  but  a*  a 
murmur.  I'IlpukIi  tliey  mount  to  seventy  or  eighty,  yet  is  their 
glory  but  toil  and  emptine>s ;  for  it  hastens  away,  and  like  a  bird 

we  arc  gone.  ,  .  c 

O  how  few  there  be  that  lay  to  heart  the  meaning  of  thy  tierce 
anger!    Teach  us  to  understand  this  and  to  number  our  days  in 

tlie  light  of  this  knov  i-lge.  that  our  hearts  may  reap  a  harvest  of 
wisdom.  O  our  Go.  come  back  to  us.  How  1.  .ng  wilt  thou  tarry  ? 
Have  pity  upon  us.  ly  servants,  .\tier  the  long  mglu  ot  sorrow, 
let  thy  mercy  dawn  ui.on  US.  and  U-  with  us  all  our  days,  tilling  our 
hearts  wiiii  joy  and  gladness,  as  deep  as  is  the  sorrow  that  )u 
l>,en  .  iir,  in  I'he  vear,  gone  I.v  Interi>o~e  for  thy  servants  sake, 
and  manifest  thyself  m  some  glorious  deed.  Set  thy  favor  upon 
us,  O  em  God,  and  establish  the  work  we  are  striving  to  do. 

Explain  to  yourself  every  phrase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly 

muii-rrn      1  unconventi  ■  il  language. 
11   succ.  -  of  your  ctfori  will  be  bi.st  tested  by  writing  a  para- 
^»    ^  your  owa. 


88 


TES  STUDIES  IS  THE  PSALMS 


Sixth  Day:  Points ftr CiurtNntM 

I,  "Th*  curtain  of  life  was  for  a  nioiiicnt  drawn  asiilr,  tlu  hang 
iiiKs  tl.ai  wrap  lis  round.  an«t  we  looked  for  an  insUnl  into  ihc  vist 
;.,ul  Marht  Mil  DO  S  the  formic**,  ancient  dark,  wherr  a  thousand 
yt.ir,  ..u-  l.m  .i>  >i,t(r.l.iy.  ..ti.l  mn.  vvlncli  tlir  countlfs*  generation* 
of  mill  liavc  iiiarchc.l.  .-m.  aiur  an.-ilur.  I  liat  is  a  solemn,  but 
hardly  a  despairing  thouglii ;  for  something  Ikiiik  wrouRlu  out 
in  th  silincc.  sonuihing  of  which  we  may  not  '  ••  conscious,  but 
will.  .  s.ir.lv  there.  Could  we  hut  lay  that  ool  and  mighty 
cl.'Mr  tn  .,ur  spirits!  That  imptm-trable  mystery  ought  to 
Kive  louragv.  to  lit  us  rest,  as  it  were,  witluu  a  mighty  arm."— 
.i.e.  Bt'Hton.  The  Upton  Letter*,  pp.  W  f. 


"Whether  at  Naishapur  or  Habylon, 
Whether  the  Cup  w'th  ^r  bitter  run, 

'1  Uc  Wine  of  Life  keeps  oozing  drop  by  drop, 
The  Leaves  of  Life  keep  falling  one  by  one. 

"There  wa^  the  Door  to  which  I  found  no  Key; 
There  was  the  Veil  throiiKli  whuli  1  tiUKlil  not  see; 

Some  little  talk  awhile  of  me  and  thee 
There  was— and  then  no  more  of  the«  and  ME." 

—Rubatyat  of  Omar  Khayyam. 


How  does  the  general  spirit  of  the  Rubaiyat  differ  from  that  of 

the  p^alIll? 

3.  "I  have  ever  been  deemed  one  of  Fortune's  special  favorites; 
nor  will  I  complain  of  the  course  my  life  has  taken.  Yet  at  houoni 
there  has  been  nothing  hut  work  and  toil;  and  I  may  well  say  that 
in  my  seveniy-tive  years  I  have  never  had  four  weeks  of  real 
pleasure  "—((;.'.•//!.■  Conversations  with  F.ckermann.  27  Jan'y.  l8it  ) 

4.  'i  wish  to  tell  you  of  a  thing  which  brought  me  no  little  con- 
solation, in  the  hop*-  that  it  may  perhaps  be  able  to  soften  your  Rrief. 
t.«.  On  my  wav  back  frimi  Asia,  as  I  was  sailing  towards  Mcsara 
!r*.m  Angina.  I  besan  to  look  at  the  places  round  abimt.  Belund 
..,e  was  .l-K'ina.  in  in.nt  of  me  McRara.  on  my  right  the  r'ir.i-us,  on 
my  left  Corinth— cities  which  once  were  nio-t  tlourishinj;.  but  ar  ■ 
now  lying  in  ruins  before  the  eyes.  This  is  how  1  beRan  to  turn 
It  over  in  my  mind.  'Ah,'  thought  I.  'shall  w<!  puny  mortals  be 
annry  if  one  of  lis  perishes  or  is  slain,  when  so  many  cities  are 
i.ing^  .,,  r;;... ,  ;;;;,!  l^^-\r  \m  v ^'^-.T -.Af ,  Sefvius.  and  remember 
that  you  were  born  mortal.'   Believe  me.  I  was  not  a  little  strength- 


THI  NISETIETIl  PSrUM 


enrd  by  this  thought."— From  a  Irttfr  arfdrrswl  ly  Serviut  Sul- 
fitius  to  Cii-oro  i>n  tin-  <IimiIi  "f  In-  <!aiiKln«T  Tiillia. 

5.  R.  G.  Mmilt.m  call.  tliU  |»alin  a  n>mti  ..f  Mountain  Sunn«r. 
"While  if*  subject  \*  i.iff  a*  a  pa<>inK  I'av."  ilu   ~.n.nK  f 
thought  is  the  concealed  imagery  of  a  mountain  sunrise."— U 
Literary  Study  of  the  Bihle.  vv  175-177  >   Consider  this. 

6l         "Change  and  <!<-cav  m  all  ar-'Uiul  I  ■ii  <  ' 

O  thou  wlu>  i  liatiK-  t  not,  almlc  with  :iU'."— //.  i". 

J.  "NothinR  !c^s  than  the  Mil)lime  thonjrlit  of  God,  tranvendent 
yet  immamnt.  can  «atl^fy  and  liola  u^.  cm  sH  idy  .m.l  kuuIc  ii-,  a< 
we  think  of  our  little,  personal  lives  in  the  far-reachinK  slr^aia  of 
hirtory."— »F.  C.  SeOtek,  The  New  Appreciation  of  the  BiWe.  i>. 


TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 
SivFNTH  Day:  ©««ti««i 

cx..ral.l.  i.as>.ng  of  the  generations  of  men? 

,  H  u  e  v"u  .  vcr  suk  tmily  con^dered  how  small  a  P'"*^  J'  ;  , 
i„^„";: -vir:  and  .n  hu.nan  hi..r>^  and  how  certa.nly  and  «ttcrl> 
you  Shall  van,>h  from  the  moniyry  of  men 

4.  Do  thoughts  hke  these  sadden  you?    Is  this  their  on  y 

prcs>ion  m  the  New  l.stanun  '  .  A-^^  U^ere  JJ^  '^P  ^  i„ 

in  religion  more  strongly  emphasued  in  the  Old  icstamen 

the  New?  i  Kr.  viiv  of  life  be  connected 

7.  In  what  sense  may  the  sorrow  and  brevity  Of  litc  oe 

with  sin?  ,  , 

«  Wh  it  view  of  Cod  underlies  the  psalm. 

o  o  "  t  c  psaln,  .eem  to  have  a  special  message  for  you  wh^ 
read  at  tin  Iniial  of  ,> dead?  If  what  U  that  meMage?  Do 
you  really  lay  It  to  heart? 


THE  NINETY-FIRST  PSALM 


93 


First  Day  :  Cle  Ct)tt  •(  tbt  tJealm 

HiVpy  he  who  dwills  in  the  sicret  place  of  tlic  Most  High, 

And  lodges  in  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty. 
Who  says  to  Jehovah:  My  refuge  and  my  fortress  (art  thou), 

My  God,  in  whom  1  trust!" 

For  HE  will  deliver  ihee  from  the  fowler  s  snare, 

From  the  pit  of  destruction. 
With  his  pinions  he  will  cover  thee, 

And  under  his  wings  thou  niayest  hide. 

Thou  needest  not  fear  the  terror  of  the  night. 

Nor  the  arrow  tliat  flirtli  hy  ('ay, 
Nor  the  plague  that  staiks  in  the  dark. 
Nor  the  pest  or  the  demon  of  noon. 

Though  a  thousand  fall  at  thy  side. 

And  ten  thousand  at  thy  right  hand. 
Yet  it  shall  not  draw  nigh  unto  thee. 

For  his  faithfulness  is  a  shield  and  a  buckler. 

Only  with  thine  eyes  shall  thou  look  on. 

And  see  how  the  wicked  are  punished. 
For  THY  refuge  is  Jiliovah. 

The  Most  High  thou  hast  made  thy  home. 

Thou  shalt  not  be  met  by  misfortune. 

No  plague  stiall  come  near  thy  tvnt : 
For  he  will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee. 

To  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways. 
On  their  hands  they  will  bear  thee  up, 
Lest  thou  strike  thy  foot  on  a  stone. 
On  serpents  and  adders  shalt  thou  tread. 

And  trample  on  lions  and  dragons. 
"Because"  (saith  Jehovah)    he  ha.  clunR  to  tne.  I  will  deUver  him; 

I  will  set  him  (secure)  on  high.  be.  ..u^e  he  knows  my  name. 
When  he  calls  upon  me.  I  will  answer  him, 

In  trouble  I  will  be  with  him. 
I  will  rescue  him.  and  hrinvr  him  to  honor  : 
With  length  of  days  will  I  s,atisty  him. 
And  show  him  my  salvation." 

,.  Commit  the  psahn  to  nu-mory  in  any  version         P''>''J^  . 
2.  Meditate  upon  it  carefully,  and  without  the  a.d  of  books,  untU 
you  have  some  adequate  idea  of  it.  in  detail  and  as  a  whole. 


94 


TEN  STUDHiS  /A'  THE  PSALMS 


Si  LONi)  Day  :  Cbe  Sttntitf  of  ♦be  Jatt|if«l  (Setit*  \  6) 

1.  OptiniiMii  snroly  ncvir  tuck  inoro  radiant  or  exuberant  expres- 
sion ilian  It  takes  in  this  psalm.  It  must  have  come  from  a  liappy 
heart ;  apparently,  too,  from  a  triumphant  life.  The  sudden  change 
of  Its  pirxiiia!  pnm.nin-  make-  tlu  psalm,  on  a  tirst  study,  seem 
obscure  and  abrnpi ;  imt  the  dillicully  disappears,  when  it  is  recog- 
nized that  the  body  of  the  poem  (vir>e^  .M.O  is  addressed  by  tlu- 
pcet  to  ihp  man  who  trusts  Ins  (itid,  in  nmch  the  same  style  and 
spirit  as  the  book  of  Proverbs  occasionally  addresses  its  admoni- 
tiniis  :nid  proniisis  lo  "my  son"  (rt.  Proverbs  5:  I;  6:  I;  7:1). 
I  lie  first  two  verses  simply  amiomu  .'  the  seiu  ral  theme— the  blessed- 
ness .,f  tlie  faithful— expressed  in  uii:u  ot  ihe  third  per-.n 

will  say"  in  verse  2,  wc  should  probably  read  "Iw  will  say  ). 
In  the  last  three  verses.  Jehovah  hini'eif  is  represented  as  intcr- 
vening  md  confirming  the  previous  promises  by  a  divine  oracle.  In 
the  liturKical  service,  the  last  verses  may  have  been  spoken  by  a 
priest. 

2.  The  language  of  tiie  earlier  verses  is  an  echo  of  the  times  when 
the  peasant  lived  in  continual  f  ^f  an  assault  by  robber  bands.  . 
from  which  lie  had  io  take  refu,  ,  hiding  in  caves  of  the  moun- 
tains. Jihovah  is  as  real  a  defet.ce  to  the  Psalmist  as  ever  cave 
or  fortress  had  been  to  a  hunted  man.  Nay,  the  thought  is  even 
friendlier  and  warmer  than  thai.  The  second  clause  of  verse  i 
calls  up  the  image  of  home  and  liospitable  shelter  :  "he  spends  the 
niRht.  as  it  were,  beneath  the  shade  of  Jehovahs  roof"  (cf.  Gen. 
If):  8). 

I  hroiiRh  the  promises  that  follow,  directly  addressed  to  ;he  man 
who  trusts  his  God.  we  pet  a  filimpse  of  a  world  thick-set  with 
dangers  of  every  kind;  but  thnmsb  that  world  the  man  in.ay  walk 
with  the  assurance  that  his  feet  will  be  kept.  His  life  may  l>e 
craftily  sotight,  like  the  life  of  a  bird  (cf.  Ps.  ti :  l)  by  the  fowler, 
but  it  is  waiched  •'■■<v  by  One  who  is  minlitier  than  any  fowler. 
Note  llal.  in  accrdaiice  with  very  ancient  conceptions.  Jehov.ah  is 
himself  pictorially  represented  as  baviuR  wings  (cf,  the  conmrtion 
of  cherubs  with  the  nrk),  beneath  which  the  man  who  trusts  him 
is  safe. 

.4.  Not  only  is  he  s:ife.  but  delivered  from  all  fear.  Night  and 
day,  bis  heart  may  be  at  rest :  however  keen  the  arrow  that  flicth 
by  day.  however  teabliy  and  awful  the  terrors  that  haunt  the  ni^ht 
they  cannot  touch  him.  Verses  5  and  6  were  no  doubt  more  vivul 
to  an  ancient  reader  than  they  arc  to  us.  The  arrow  is  prob.ably 
_  ;  .1...;  ;,,  !.;it;!.,\  r  uber  the  burning  dart  shot  by  the  sun 
(Fs.  iji :  0)— sunstroke;  and  similarly,  the  terror  of  the  night  may 


THE  NINETY-FIRST  PS  AIM  « 
fc.  .hat  curious  innu.nc-  .hU-h  w«  supposed  to  strea.  fro,n  U.o 
moon  ana  produce  lunacy.  ^,,_.,pc  of 

5.  But  there  were  more  ternblo  » J'"*^^;'"    'J  forces 

Thich  s,alk..d  about  and  f             o   dcnons.    Th.  was 

sthious  fc  l-ng  .hat  .  K.y  the  C-.rcek   v.  r.nn 

probably  the  or.gmal           "  „f  niidday"  ^">1 

translates  the  last  clause  to  ■    '  .        .           „,at  did  their 

„„,e  weir.l  to  the  imagtnat.o  .  ,Uc  f-rM-born  of  E^ypt 

a.adly  work  by  niRht.  ""'f'JlZXu^^  A^^yrian  host 

(Isaiah  37:  /•>•    f^"'  '"^  ''Vo  r'en  thousand,  the  faithful 

Jwcep.  men  awa,  by  thr  '^^^'^'^'^^^Jl^,  de-troyin^  angel 
„,1  be  untouched,  as  Israd  '    ,ouKh  the  land  of  Egypt 

,,Hn  he  passed  in  the  dead  of  J  [       ,„„,u  down.  The 

(K.odu.  i-'-.AO.    Only  .he  near  he  was  .0 

n,an  of  fa,.h  wn„M  f '''-.f^^;;  ',::,"^i„Ta  Attfirmat.on  of  his 
,Ue  victims,  but  ho  would  see  U.  ^'"'1/';^  J  ^^.j,  of  verse  8 

vme  7,  and  first  cUuse  of  verse  16). 


56 


rt'.v  sTf/y/i  s-  IX  Tirn  ps.ii.ms 


1  iiiKit  Day  :  €\)t  Cnnmpi)  o{  tbr  Jaitbfnl  (Drrara  9  Id) 

1.  The  man  who  trusts  is  safe;  he  is  also  fearless;  and  the  reason 
is,  in  vcr>e  <j  as  in  verse  I,  because  he  has  made  (iod  his  refuge  and 
his  home.  If  the  present  text  of  ver^c  <)  be  correit,  we  mu^t  >ui)- 
Ilo^e  lliat  tlie  lirst  clatisi'  i-  .m  iiUi  rruptioii  mi  tlie  part  of  thi'  man 
who  is  llie  subject  of  these  precious  promises,  "l-'or  thou" — lie 
breaks  m — "art  my  refuge."  This  is  perhaps  a  httle  unnatural. 
The  margin  preserves  the  continuity  of  the  passage,  by  suggesting 
an  additional  word,  "Because  thou  hast  said,  'Jeliovah  is  my 
refuge.'"  It  i>  simplest  of  all  to  re.iil.  as  in  the  second  claiHe,  ".\s 
for  thee.  Jehovali  is  thy  refuge.  '  whidi  is  a  happy  parallel  to  "thy 
habitation." 

2.  No  stroke  of  calamity  will  fall  upon  the  good  man's  tent — a 
word  whose  background  is  nomadic  life — because  God  had  given 

his  angels  i  harge  n\(r  liim.  The  dnitu-  f^nllifiilne^--.  winch  in  ver'i'' 
7  was  a  shield  and  Imckler.  is  now  perxinitied  and  lakes  liic  form 
01  angels — peculiarly  striking  in  this  context;  these  gnardian  angels 
are  the  counterpart  of  the  demons  who  carry  on  their  deadly  work 
at  noonday  and  at  midnight.  The  world  is  a  battlefield  upon  which 
invisiliii  fnrci's  contend  lor  t'le  good  man's  life. 

3.  Hut  llie  angels  have  charge,  and  tluy  will  lilt  him  over  tlie 
rough  places  of  the  way.  Oriental  roads  were  often  poor  and 
stony,  and  the  feet  protected  only  by  sandals;  hence  the  comfort 
of  the  thought  that  on  life's  uneven  way  the  pilgrim  would  be  saved 
by  unseen  aiimlic  powers  from  iniitiling  and  wounding  his  weary 
feet.  .\iid  tliiit  w:iy  was  lie^et  by  <!.iiigers  « Mr^t-  than  -.tones: 
there  were  riptile>  and  wild  lieasts  upon  it — syml.'  of  malicious 
and  powerful  opposition.  From  these,  too,  the  good  man  will  be 
safe,  because  he  enjoys  angelic  protection.  Nay,  not  only  is  he  safe 
from  tin  111,  ))Ut  triumphant  oeer  them;  not  only  will  they  not  hurt 
hmi,  Imt  lie  will  lie  able  to  hurt  and  destroy  them.  He  will  tread 
iiiihariiieil  over  the  -erpeiit^  and  adders,  while  mighty  lions  anil 
dragons  he  will  trample  victoriously  under  foot.  His  life  will  be  at 
once  secure,  fearless,  and  triumphant. 

4.  The  psalm  appropriately  closes  in  solemn  oracular  words  ut- 
tered by  Jeliovah  himself,  who  confirms  the  previous  promises  and 
sets  them  in  a  larger  light,  Htcanse  !iis  servant  clung  to  him  in 
love,  Jehovah  promises  to  hear  his  prayer  and  he  with  him  in  <lis- 
tress,  to  set  him  on  high,  secure  and  out  of  the  reach  of  his  enemies, 
to  grant  him  long  life  in  this  world — an  object  of  ceaseless  aspira- 
tion for  men  who  had  no  sure  hope  of  a  life  beyond  the  grave — 
.iii.i  tiiiaiiy  10  cr..\vn  .lii  hi-  kindiu -s  i;i  r;i;:i,  by  ;i'!tis\ing  hiiU  !•• 
look  upon  and  participate  in  the  great  Messianic  salvation.    And  all 


THE  NINETY-FIRST  FSAUI 


97 


,his  because  h..  kno..  J.hovah'.  na-n.-.  that  .s  l-e  know,  h.s  char 
acter-what  to  call  lun,.  lu,w  to  ,nv..k.  lu.n.  what  att.ti u!o  to  n,a.n 

a  "toward,  h.m^he  undorXan.!.  tlu-  natur.  7" 
,H.  prnf.sscs.  clings  in  simple  fa.th  a..d  love  to  tl.c  .0. 

liu^c  a«a,.,st  the  demons,  the  adder.,  the  lions,  the  .  r.^Ron.  tU 
ml-n  who  threaten  h,s  l,fe  Such  is  the  man  whom  Jehovah  ap- 
proves,  delivers,  honors,  and  save*. 


gB  TPM  STf-mrS  /V  TlfP.  PSALMS 

Foi  RTii  1 ) w  :  Cbt  iRreoait  of  tit  PmI«  fff  B% 

1.  Thf  faith  of  this  psalm  is  <larinK  bcyon.l  all  otlit  r^^—- <l.nnn« 
that  at  first  one  is  ti-mptol  to  w.»ii<lcr  whether  the  Psalmist  fully 
reali7c*  tho  f»arfiil  c><l<ls  anain^t  which  faith  has  always  to  nuasurc 
it-rlf.  Hut  In-  knrw  hfr  ^is  will  a>i  (i..<l:  thr  world  to  which  he  btd 
dttiaiue  was  a  wrM  whose  [urils  1..-  un.Kr.-tootl  through  and 
through.  It  was  pt(<i)ii-(l  hy  powtrful  ilciiKm-.  who  liauntf.'  every 
hour  of  the  day  and  night,  by  mysterious  forces  that  sm  )te  nun 
down  by  the  thousand  and  ten  thousand,  by  fowlers  «  ho  were 
MttiiiR  -narrs  for  iiinorcnt  livis.    I'pon  iis  roads  were  stones 

v  hirh  the  wearv  pilgrim  fe.  i  minlit  stuml.le :  in  its  secret  places 
lurked  serpents  and  wild  h  asts.  Yos ;  if  faith  here  wins  a  spUndul 
victory,  it  wins  it  after  looking  with  frank  and  careful  eyes  .at  tho 
subtle  and  powerful  forces  that  are  everlastingly  arrayed  against  it. 

2.  It  is  altoRcther  probable  that  Jesus  nourished  his  own  faith 
upon  the  brave  and  bracitiR  words  of  this  psalm.  It  was  a  sublime 
illustration  of  the  faith,  so  dear  to  him.  which  could  overcome  the 
world.  Words  borrowed  from  this  psalm  were  thrust  upon  his 
mmd  in  the  great  temptation  (Matthew  A-f'-  L"l<«'  4:  «o.  n).  and, 
when  his  disciples  returned  to  him  rejoicing  that  the  demons  were 
subject  to  ihciii,  he  assured  them,  in  words  suggested  by  this  psalm. 
"Behold,  1  have  given  yoii  authority  to  tread  upon  serpents  and 
scorpions,  and  over  all  the  power  of  the  enemy ;  and  nothing  shall 
in  anywise  hurt  you"  (Luke  lo:  ig).  We  cannot  wonder  that  the 
psalm  should  have  been  a  favorite  of  Jesus. 

3.  Fit  t  is  its  sense  of  security.  The  man  who  has  God  for  his 
refuge  and  home  feels  safe.  The  fowUr  may  lay  his  snare,  but  the 
life  for  which  it  is  laid  is  beyond  his  reach.  Demons  may  lurk  in 
the  way;  but  "he  giveth  his  angels  charge  over  thcc."  Unseen 
gracious  forces  arc  watching  over  the  life :  and  nothing  can  essen- 
tially harm  the  soul  that  is  hid  in  God. 

4.  But  besides  this  sense  of  safety,  there  is  quietness  and  confi- 
dence. "Thou  Shalt  not  be  afraid."  Unquestionably,  fear  is  one  of 
our  deadliest  enemies  ;  it  both  destroys  our  peace  and  cripples  our 
power  of  resisting  the  blows  which  may  fall.  And  just  as  unquestion- 
ably  is  fear  the  result  of  faithlessness.  "God  is  our  refuRo  and 
str.nRth.  therefore  we  will  not  fear"  (Ps.  46:  i).  "In  God  have  I 
put  my  trust;  I  will  not  be  afraid'  ( Ps.  5f':4).  This  is  one  of 
the  great  lessons  of  the  Bible,  verified  countless  tim-rs  in  experience, 
that  faith  in  God  drives  out  fear— fear  of  calamity,  of  the  future, 
of  man,  "What  can  flesh  do  unto  me?"  (Ps.  56:4)-  Nay,  the 
P-almist  did  not  even  fear  the  d -inons. 

5.  Lastly,  faith  in  God  makes  life  not  only  quiet,  but  triumphant. 


Tur.  siM-.ry-iiK^i  rs.usi 


09 


Un  ovrr  .t  all  faith  r.scs  v.ctonou*.    f^c  m«  np  ^^  ^^ 

K.  obvous  t,.  ,lu.  w,.rUI.  >.n.  U  ^  j^,''^,;  Xow,e.ig..  "Thc^ 
seldom  also  such  as  ilu  w.  rU       "  "1'^"'°;"  they  cart 

siKH.  »h.n  accompany  . hen,  «h...  In  lu  v.-     .  " 

.nu  demon,;  they  shall  »»>'^"'^*^•  '\'  ;,;'"  ,;.!  ,,,„  lav  hand, 
deadly  thing,  it  shall  .n  now.^  'm^w    6- ,7.  .8).  Thcs« 

on  the  >iek.  and  they  shall  j V^J^^J^  ««!  triumph  a» 

words  breathe  the  same  cc.nsc.ousnes,  of  .mmumty  ana 

the  psalm.  sublime.   It  t«  not 

6  The  faith  of  the  psalm  „  ,   r^,„.h<p  ;  it  i* 

an  intellectual  belief,  but  a  P-->""f ^   '  „  ,„Kh  Cod. 

an  at.itu.le  "f  daring  but  reasonable  ,„  onr 

It  is  the  complete  and  joyful  "f'^^ '"^ j.  in  whom  I 

whom  it  can  call  "My  refuge  and  my  fomes.,  my  uo  . 

tnut." 


too  TEN  STUDIES  IN  THE  PSALMS 

Fifth  Day:  Pir«»Nai» •! H* |W« 

Happy  '»  «he  man  who  knows  the  Almighty  ami  the  m<.,t  high 
God  to  be  hi.  ih  iter  and  hii  home,  and  who  can  say  to  h.m  wuh 
grateful    mfidencc:   •  Thott  art  my  relofe,  ny  fortreat.  my  Uxl 

111  wliotil  I  trust." 

For  he  is  mighty  to  dilivir  from  perils  of  every  kind.  Me  can 
^avc  thee  from  snare  .md  uia.lly  pcM.lence;  his  sheltering  wings  can 
safely  cover  thee.  Ihou  necdest  not  fear  the  terror  of  niglit.  lu.r 
the  arrow  that  flieth  by  day.  nor  the  plafue  that  stalks  m  th.  dark. 
i„,r  the  feverish  h.at  ..f  n.H.nday.  Ten  tboutand  oi  the  godless 
inav  fall  about  tlue,  but  the  fvil  shall  never  touch  thee:  for 
Jehovah's  faithfulness  is  to  thee  as  a  shield  of  defence.  Thou  sha  t 
see  with  thine  tyes  how  the  godless  arc  punished;  b.'t  that  is  a". 
For  thou  thyelf  art  safe:  thou  hart  made  the  moat  high  God  thy 
refuge  and  t!iy  home  No  evil  shall  befall  thee;  no  plague  diall 
come  near  thy  hoiiw  •  for  at  his  bidding  the  angels  preserve  thee 
wherever  thou  gocst,  bearing  thee  up  and  keeping  thee  from 
stumUing  on  the  stony  ways.  Over  all  that  is  strong  and  cruel  and 
treacherous  thou  shall  have  the  dominion.  Reptile*  nd  tddert, 
lions  and  dragons,  shalt  thou  trample  under  foot. 

"All  this,"  saith  Jehovah,  "I  will  do  for  the  man  who  loves  me 
and  cares  for  mc.  I  will  deliver  and  exalt  him  When,  in  his  hour 
of  need,  he  calls  me,  I  will  answer  and  stand  by  him.  I  will  save 
him  and  bring  him  to  honor,  and  spwe  Wm  toof  to  tee  the  golden 
Messianic  days." 

Explain  to  yourself  every  phrase  of  the  psalm  in  thoroughly 
modern  and  unconventional  langua,;e. 

The  success  of  your  effort  will  be  beat  tested  by  writing  a  para- 
phrase of  your  owa 


^ ;  \  ri    i » \     |>«»nH  lot  ConiUrratwi 


lOI 


I       Me  {• 

»0f  SUCCv 

u  tr.i 

ll!  pf«V»Oll 

^\    n  hr 

uMdcr  tr-- 
«  Uje 

cunquct 
(I'rotlu 

2.  "I. 

With 

befori'  '  ->i 
Evil  One, 
flung  hw 


4Bd  ianu 

■ "  t'  /  a 
111 


{S.i 


.  Kvii.ii-.ir.cf,  i.a--u.n  for  jKHtty. 
1        .....ikiiiv.!  iU«    iiniT>>,i.in  "I  «!>'• 
v>  Hi      A  Jaimin.u,  illiu^>  r.Mvnl  h.^ 
,c  bondage  of  1:k>J".  >'  '» 
.     ,>iugf         Calvin  at  Geneva    In  I34«- 
,        „i    .itKiukd  ihi-  service  of  the  RefiWnu.l 

..at    a  «a-  -  r>.u"> 
,  -     Most  lli>ih,  ..hall  alml.'  un-Kr  ih.'  -I>.«<l"" 
=  t,.  vtr  (orgiH  the  effiAt  ..f  ilH-  wor.l^  lli-y 
M     ■  .linkuUu-!.  of  his  ,uh.e.i'unt  l.l>'. 
.     .  ,u.  him  louraKo  to  meet  every  cUnKcr.  — 

,1  lliinian  Life,  V\>         i  > 

s        I'-iliiiN    hi-  wa-i  worii-<li>wn 
iting  i>ne  lit    "<•  1  -aiin^,  ik 

1  sickness,  abstinence  from  i  '       'i'"-''  f  '-'' 

,  ^  „s.  indefinable  Image,  which  h,  t       I  r  th.- 

i     v.„rk;  l.uthcr  started  nf.  with  tu  n,l  .K  .miuc  . 

.tand  3.  the  ^p.  ctrc.  .md  it  disappeared  j    I  he  sp<.t 

.mW,  there;  a  curu.„.  "-^--^iV:;:  /  "'^iii,,'" 
apothecary's  apprentice  ^      '  ,  ,ire 

arms,  and  said : 

"Now  lettest  th..ii  li.v  ^<rvaiit  depart.  O  Lord. 
According  to  thy  word,  in  peace ; 
For  mine  cyei  hen-e  seen  thy  sahation. 

4  The  great  lesson  of  the  psahn      that  God  is  f  "f J;* 

1  tell  you.  nay."    (Luke  ij:  4.  5  )  i^tm  I  K 

5  "I  felt  that  It  mattered  nothing  to  f.o.l  what  1  ki„     ^>'-"  " 
Ueted.         abstract  propositions  1  had  mastered,  what  my  pU.c 


TES  STL  DIES  IS  THE  PSALM^ 


my  influence.  n.ighl  be;  .11  .l.at  n.at.crcl  wa.  thu.  I  0..u!.l  u.rn 
to  |.  Ml  ,.t  rvrry  i.umunt  with  p«rlwl  ConhUcncc  ati.l  tru.t       U  .u 

6  In  ahnu^t  all  tlu^c  fn,'.«.  .mnts  Im  Ch.nal  CUmd  vlon 
«as  very  much  cxpn,..!.  for  lu-  fou.,cl  .1  nectary,  or  at  ka»t 
rx^i^tobeco,W...n,ly  n.  .he  front,  an.l  of,.  n  f  1,  ...1  n.  person 
.  •  •  He  sccnwd  to  bear  a  charnad  life,  and  .kwt  e..rr>e<l  a..> 
arms  even  when  foremost  in  the  breach.  Hi.  only  weapon  o,, 
these  occasions  was  a  Miiall  cane,  with  which  he  wed  to  direct  lus 
troops"-   Udrfw  H  i/i..«.  O.loi.el  Ctdon's  Chinese  Campaign) 

Yet  GovUun  knew  well  that  ttic  life  of  the  Rorvl  man  h  no,  aUav- 
an  outward  and  visible  triumpJi.  On  the  nth  March.  18K4.  he  writ.  - 
thus  to  his  sister:  , . 

■  K-nunilur.  onr  Lord  <li<l  not  promise  success  or  peace  in  tln^ 
life  He  protriscl  trihulation.  so  if  thinR«  do  not  go  well  after  the 
fle.h.  he  still  is  faithful  H  will  ,lo  all  in  love  and  mercy  to  n,e. 
My  part  is  to  submit  to  his  w  11.  however  .lark  it  m.iy 

brilliant  and  faithful  career  was  crnwne.i  l-v  a  -.>U  n,  ;  -.jh 
in  1  captured  ci.v.  which  for  momhs  he  had  defended  h^mca  ly. 
but  in  v^in.  His  hfe  strikingly  illustrate,  alike  the  truth  which  the 
ptahn  em^usuei,  Md  that  wiucb  it  ignores. 


77//:  \l\r.TY  FIRST  PS.4i.M  «»« 

Skvinth  Day:  OwMm 
,  Dor.  your  faith  in  God  gJvc  yo«  a  real  «n«  ol  security  in 

"'I'na.  your  fa.th  o.r  .nal,U,l  >-..  to  face  .lifficUy  or  danger 

wm'hc  with  him  in  .rou.U.  ■   Th..  -n---;^'^;;; 
divine  presence  in  trouble  wa«  undoubtedly  a  great  fact  to  the  man 

';:z^::::::':^r: Tchowa  i„  ma,.  Another 

crieUy  manyred  in  China  H.-w  .1,.  >uoh  fact,  affect  our  .nterpr.- 
tatton  and  appropriation  "f  t»u-  P^altn  ?  .. 

5.  "Tt  i»  all  one.   He  destroy,  the  .nnm-cnr  an.l  tl..  ^-'''J  ' 
So  .ni.l  Jo).  (.>:       cf  ...  •  7-l6>.  i"  bis  perplcx.ty  and  '"'I 

arc  ac<,ua.n,cd  with  thi,  mood,  consider  ,ome  of  the  U 

whkh  produced  it  in  y.u,    C"...  v  .  i  '<  "        ^  f-  '  ; 

Trom  ym.r  own  per«>nal  observation,  exp.-ruMO-.  - 

.Mifv  and  illn^tVate  the  faith  of  P«tm  o- '  I'-vhuM,  ,n.nd-^h  < 
of  Jol.  .,•  or  Ps.  Ot-are  you  able  to  do  and  to  be  your  best. 
Is  that.  then,  not  the  mood  worth  cncouraginR? 

6.  Have  you  any  tear?  If     of  what?  and  why? 


STUDY  X 

CIc  0u  Dmnk  «ri  Camp  siFtk  Pmov 


THE  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  TiyENTY-Slxni  PSALM  .07 
First  Day  :  Cbr  Crrt  of  He  JlMlm 

When  Jiliovali  changed  the  fortunes  oi  Zwn, 

Like  men  that  dream  were  wc. 
Then  was  our  mouth  fiHeU  with  laughter, 

And  our  tongue  witli  rmgmg  cries. 
Then  said  they  among  the  nation-. 

•  Jchov.ili  hath  dealt  greatly  with  them. 
Jehovah  dealt  greatly  with  us ; 

Wc  were  glad. 

O  change  our  fortunes.  Jehovah, 

As  streams  in  the  south. 
They  that  sow  in  tears 

Shall  reap  with  ringing  cries. 
Forth  he  fares  weeping. 

Bearing  the  seed  to  scatter; 
Home,  home  he  comes  with  ringing  cries. 

With  his  arm  full  of  sheaves. 


,o8  TEX  sn  niF.S  IX  THE  PSALMS 

Si  ((.M)  Hay:  Cbt  3fn?  of  Brtmption  (BttJtB  13) 

,  This  psahn  is  one  of  a  little  group  U^o-iJ4)  known  as  the 
Songs  of  Ascent.  Of  this  phrase  several  ixplanati.Mis  have  l.ooi. 
given  the  most  probable  being  that  they  were  psalms  sting  on  the 
Lv  ur  to  Jeru.aknt  by  the  pilgrims  who  went  to  celebrate  the 
IrL  Ltnals  of  the  Je.,,h  church.  The  l'''"-  ^as  someumes 
therefore  been  not  inappropriately  rendered  The  P.lgr.m  Psa  ms. 
P.alm  12!.  for  exaniple-"!  will  lift  up  mine  eyes  to  the  lulls  - 
„Kiy  have  been  st.ng  as  they  first  came  withm  sight  of  the  moun- 
tains round  alK.ut  Jerusalem. 

2  Th(n.Rh  these  psalms  may  have  been  thus  sung  by  pilgrims, 
the  question  of  their  origin  is  not  thereby  settl  d.  Many  of  them 
may  have  been,  and  no  doubt  were,  written  for  specific  occasions. 
This  pvalm.  for  example,  appears  to  have  been  written  in  tmies 
of  sorrow,  when  the  fortunes  of  Zion  were  low.  and  seed  was  being 
scattered  upon  uiipromisiiiK  fields  with  tear.>. 

3  But  the  sinners  can  look  ba.k  upon  brighter  days,  at  the  tnem- 
orv  of  which  thev  rekindle  tluir  hope,  though  that  hope  shines 
through  tears.  What  those  happy  days  were,  to  which  they  Iook 
back  ^o  wistftillv.  we  cannot  say  for  certain;  for  the  words  rendered 
„,  the  .Xnthori/ed  Version.  -When  the  Lord  turned  .-^ain  ^M  <»p- 
tivity  of  Zion."  should  almost  certainly  be  rendered.  "W  hen  Jehovah 
changed  the  forlums  of  Z.on,"  .\t  the  .one  tune  the  redemption 
which  filled  their  mouth  with  laughter  and  their  tongue  with  ringing 
shouts  was,  in  all  probability,  their  deliverance  from  the  Babylonian 
captivity.   No  Other  event  seems  large  enough  to  fit  the  wild  joy 

of  the  psalm,  .        t,  •  . 

4  The  singers  find  it  it.ipo^sible  to  express  that  joy.  Their  de- 
liverance was  like  a  beauiiful  dream-too  good  to  be  true.  Fhey 
speak  with  the  voice  of  astonished  gratitude.  The  long  night  of 
exile  had  pa.^e.l.  the  d.u  of  redemption  had  come.  They  had 
reached  the  holy  cty  and  trodden  its  ancient  streets  once  more. 
For  verv  jov  thev  could  hardly  believe  their  eyes  It  was  all  like  a 
dream  '  Wc  can  fancv  them  moving  wistfully  aliout  from  point  to 
,x.int  fearful  lest  thev  should  break  the  spell,  and  then  bursting  into 
a  hymn  of  pra,<e.  when  they  had  a.ssured  their  weary  hearts  that 
tlic  dream  was  a  living  fact. 

,  Nay  not  only  is  their  own  n.  n.th  filled  with  laughter  and  their 
tongue  with  singing,  but  the  very  beath.  n  are  dramaticlly  repre- 
M-nted  bv  the  poet  as  acknowledging  in  Israel  s  redemption  tl  e 

 .,,,„;.  in.rrno.ition  of  her  God,    "Jehovah  hath  dealt  great Iv 

„  thru.  "  That  Nrael  -hould  acknowledge  this  was  Init  natural  . 
l',a.  the  heathen  should  acknowledge  it  would  be  peculiarly  wel- 


THE  ONE  HL  SDRED  ASP  TiniSTY-SIXTU  PSALSt  .09 

feared  so  much  as  that  tlu-  lu-atlun  Au>u.\  \N»urc  is  tnv 

(Ps  42:  3;  cf.  Numbers  14  :  ,      ,      ,       ;    ,  ,1,.,, 

^  6    nu-  cn„fossion  that  has  just  fallen  from  ''''y^  , 

"Tehov.h  h  <1-H  «n.a,lv  wi.h  us"  This  is  a  simple  stateuu-nt 
j^i:,;^  hllica.  fact.    In  .he  c.iW  and  the  <^^;^^'Z^ 

-^si^:;^^.r;fi=^?r;^^^^^ 

all  imagination:  and  with  that  '    ''^^  ^  2 t  th.  v  ..y. 

we  have  already  met  so  often  .n  our  ^'"<l>  ^  absolutely  un- 

with  a  sincerity  all  the  more  profound  that  .t  u  absoiui  y 
adorned,  "We  were  glad. " 


no  TEN  STVinr.S  IS  THE  PSALMS 

TiuKi)  DxY  :  6ope  Lopk.  Cbronsb  CTtatfol  Cp«  (Brr«.  4  e) 

,  The  transition  from  vcr-.e  j  i..  verse  4  is  IHCuliarly  abrupt. 
••Wo  were  glad.  •  •  *  O  change  our  fortune.  Uny  w.r. 
.hcl  Imt  cUarlv  they  are  so  now  no  more.    S.n.e  scholars  consulcr 

s;:;-.!;:  ,1.,.    .he  <iopth,  ^  which  the  ^f^^^r^^ 

fell  a  loi.K  t.ti.e.  1K.1,;.1'.  even  fonr  ceiu.irus.  after  the  exile,  re 
J  niu'n  ^rom  wh'.ch  .s  ee.el.a.c.l  .n  ver...  Bm  .n  so  shor 

a  psalm,  that  seems  hardly  i-robable.    .Mn-.ren.ly.  ^  "  . 

... ',„„e  .hronghout  the  psalm  that  the  ntemory  of  t'"--"']^^ 
,,,tor..>..n  is  >till  fresh,  and  we  must  brmg  the  psalm  down  to  a 
few  ve  ir-  1"  riiaii>  aUout  twenty,  after  the  return. 

V  I  s' tunc  vvonld  well  M„t  the  nu-lancholy  a,.d  d.sheartc.,ed 
ntnod  of  the  last  half  of  the  p>al,n.    It  w..,  a  per.,,,  of  sorrow  and 
.l.MlluMontnem.    The  brtll.am  hopes  w.th  winch  th.    Jew.  cam^ 
back  tn.nt  the  land  of  their  captivity  had  not  been  realm d.  T^ey 
came  back  to  a  .liMuantle.l  ctv  and  a  ru.ned  temple ;  and  even 
Ture  seemed  to  have  con.,.red  with  hi.ory  ^^^-'^/'^J- , ^ 
land  had  suffered  from  a  severe  drought  (Hagga.  .   ' ' ^'J^ 
heightened  the  misery  and  the  apathy  of  the  people^     Je.r  d^  ap 
pointmcnt  is  reflected  in  the  pathetic  words  of  Haggat  (1.9)  tncy 
••l.K)kcd  for  much,  andlHlioi.l!  little."  u         .«  rndrfv 

.  In  such  a  Mtuation.  therefore,  with  darmg  hopes  SO  rude^ 
crushed  ..o  praver  couUl  be  more  natural  than  th,-.  '  ^  change 
rr  fomtnes  ehovah.  as  streams  in  the  south."  Tlu-  south  land 
r  Kegeb  is  the  tract  south  of  Judah  stretchmg  tow.nr.ls  Egvpt 
In  ...nu  ,t  ,s  nto^.ly  barren  as  the  streams  are  dry;  b"'  they  hll 
a^ain  w,.h  the  autunnt  ra„,s.  and  vegetat.on  spr.ng  up  The 
stngers.  who.e  strength  and  hope  are  .Iru.l  up.  pra>  'j^'^  '^^J  " 
be  refreshed  as  the  somh  land  .s  refreshed  and  redeemed  by  the 

wio     w  it^t^s.  ntay  they  reap  with  J^l^^j::^ 
bettrr  to  interpret  it  as  a  sublnne  assertton  of  fatth.  -J'ch  mterruP^^^^ 
rlkes.  and  answers  the  despondent  prayer  n-t  ofTered  Those 
ho  ,ow  in  tears,  do  reap  or  shall  reap  wtth  rmgtng  cr.e.  Th. 

the  Psamtist  elaborates  w.th  great  power: 


THE  OSB  HVSDRED  A»D  TWBSTV-SlXTll  IS.iU,  ... 


tears. 


tia 


jr.x  sTr/i/,'  V  /.V  riii:  /•v.i/  .u.s- 


Dw   Cbf  iRtnut  of  tbt  pealm  for 

I.  This  i>  one  of  till'  iii"-t  iH.iuiiiul  >..nt;-  in  ItHTattirc  It 
tr:i\iT-i's  MMl'tlv.  but  m  iniaKis  of  snriia^MiiR  Ikmiuv,  tin  ^Ir.mc- 
vicis>itti<ks  of  iniman  life- its  lauRlit.r  aiul  t.ars,  M.rr.nv  aii.l  i.'.v. 
fUirction  ati.l  exaltation,  exile  and  redemption.  M>ri"R  atid  aiituimi, 
111.  iHi.iiiiiiil  .lr.,ini.  and  the  eruol  reality:  but  the  sorrow  of  it  all 
is  sAallowed  uj)  in  the  lovely  vision  with  which  it  ends— «if  the 
hiirvcstcrs  coming  home  with  shouts  of  joy.  their  arms  full  of 
sheave*. 

J.  The  men  who  sanff  this  psalm  had  pa-i  d  thronnh  m  ,  xpc  ru  r.co 
of  redemption.  I  luv  knew  and  oonfes.-ed  that  their  G(><1  had  done 
i  r.at  thinK-  lor  ;!utn  :  and  th.y  were  at  once  humbled.  Rrateful  and 
^l.id.  They  iiio\,,l  al".ut  as  one  in  a  dnani.  Ikouim'  tliev  could  not 
trust  themselves  t.>  think  that  so  R'«'d  a  tliinu  was  true.  .\iid  tluy 
were  so  happy  that  they  could  find  no  wort's  to  express  tlKir  joy. 
Ilu-r  inotilh  was  filled  with  latishter.  their  tongue  with  rinKinK 
■^l,..uls;  tint  all  they  emild  say  was.  "We  were  glad."  That  is  all; 
but.  on  tin-  lips  of  siiK-iTe  nun.  lli.it  is  i  \  t  r>  il.iii^; 

J.  Have  we  any  such  experietue  of  reileiiip'ion  wliicli  enable-  us. 
even  afar  off.  to  appreciate  the  rai>turous  joy  of  the  psalm?  llavo 
we  ever  bun  delivered  from  anxiety,  from  disappointment,  from 
defeat,  from  d.i!i>:er.  from  oppression,  from  sorrow,  from  evil  habits, 
from  sin,  from  dcalli?  .\nd  if  we  bave.  do  we  aiknowledi:e  <<ur 
Redeemer?  and  are  we  Riati  tiil  and  j;!ad  I'-r  our  r. 'leniplioii  ?  ami 
have  our  shiRRisli  luarls  es>r  bun  moved  to  say.  "  ilie  I.ord  lias 
done  great  things  for  me;  I  am  glad"?  .And  if  we  have  never  m.ide 
siK-Ii  a  confession,  or  known  such  joy,  are  we  quite  sure  that  we 
b.i\  I-  Ih  I  n  rcili  ciiu  il  imiiri!  ' 

4.  .Xgain.  till  psalm  niriiuls  ns  .if  the  dutv  .>f  hope.  Men  to 
whom  the  dream  of  ick  inj.u..!i  has  hecome  .i  f.ict.  may  l.v.k  to  ib.' 
future  through  eyes  blin.led  by  tears:  but  they  see  afar  ofT  the 
Rol.bn  harvest,  and  to  the  lisienmg  e.ir  the  shouts  of  the  merry 
luirv.st.rs  are  borne  l  .ick  from  the  future  .lavs,  as  they  bring  their 
s|i,a\es.  in  aiinfnls.  h.^iiu-  In  .lays  of  disappointment.  thi«  is  a 
e..nso!ation  ..f  wliu  li  n..  .-ne  can  ever  .allov  binis.  ll  to  be  r -bb.  ,1 
v.lio  trulv  b.  liev.s  in  Cod— that  no  honest  effort  is  ever  in  vain,  that 
rt  .Ine  lime  the  f.iithful  worker  will  reap,  if  he  faint  not— if  11 -t  in 
ili; ,  wor!.!,  ilu  ii  m  s,,i,),>  ,>tlu  r  N.<  si.'.l  is  .  ver  flung  from  any  faith- 
ful ii.m.l  111  vain  in  Cod's  g.io.l  tMii  .  if  not  in  ours,  it  will  spring 
rp  ami  bear  its  destined  fruit  In  ibis  w.>rl.l.  sometimes  one  sows 
ai'i.l  It  Is  another  that  reaps:  bui  (.o.l  is  as  mindful  of  the  Muver  a' 
of  (he  reaper,  and  one  day— h.>w  far  away  we  know  not— he  that 
s.>weth  and  he  that  reapcth  shall  rejoice  together. 


THE  OSB  HVSPRED  AXD  WESU  SISTU  nALM  u> 
of  h.iw  ,  :  ;  r      ...."dv.-.  look  «p 

cur  arms  full  of  sheaves, 
phrase  of  your  owm. 


114  TL.\  :iTri>n:s  is  the  rsAUts 

Six  111  Uav  :  €)ufition«  «n»  Powti  Cor  CoMrttratwii 

I.  Ilciw  <lo  you  explain  ih.  .ipp.inntly  sudden  change  of  mood  m 

this  iisaliii  ?  /       ■  -I 

Can  you  g>vi-  any  oili.r  iIlu.Mratio.1  Iroiii  ;lu'  l'>alter  of  a  similar 

change?   (c£.  I's.  85  and  y5  > 

Have  you  ever  had  a  Miiular  experience  of  your  own . 

J.  Israel  had  a  delinitc  historical  experience  of  redemption  m  her 

dtlivi-r.mcf  frr;,,  tin  ll.il'.vl.iin.m  liiplivlty. 
Ha\e  you  any  t  NptriciKi' ot  ridiniption:' 

From  what  have  you  been  redeemed,  and  what  have  you  gained 

by  your  redemption  ?  ,  •  ki 

Has  it  tna.U-  you  very  Rlad?   Does  your  experience  of  it  enable 

vou  to  iiiiilirst.inil  tht  .ibounihiiK  joy  of  vi-rses  1-3? 

Is  your  rail tni.hnn      r.  tl  that    tilers  art  struck  by  it? 
Is  there  a  miisi  m  uhuh  >  >ur  redemption  is  incomplete.  What 
do  you  anticipate  from  llie  future? 

1  In  disappointment  are  you  patient  and  hopeful  / 
4  ir.  wiiat  sense  is  it  riRht  to  hvc  in  the  future?   Is  this  mood  a 
hindrance  or  an  inspiration  to  present  activity? 

5.  Can  you  illi-str; -e,  from  y<m  own  <  vperience  or  observation 
or  from  missionary  annaU.  the  following  truths ; 
(a)  One  sow-*,  another  reaps; 
(/.)   I  htv  that  M)\v  in  tears  shall  reap  in  joy? 
6  -1  know  how  wuke.l  my  heart  has  been.    But  J  knew  you 
would  come  back.    .\tui  m  ,I..y.  iKt,r>.  in  the  anthem,  when  they 
sang  it.  -When  the  Lord  turned  the  captivity  of  /.ion.  we  were  like 
them  that  dream.'  I  thought  ye.s.  like  them  that  dream-theni  that 
.heam    .\ik1  tlun  it  went,  -rhey  that  sow  in  tears  shall  -ap  in 
i„y    an.l  he  that  (;oeih  forth  and  weepeth.  shall  doubtless  come 
again  with  re,ouin«.  huu^uK  lus  sheave,  with  him:'  I  looked  Up 
from  the  b«M.k  and  saw  >nu.    1  knew  >ou  w.nil^l  ome.  my  dear, 
and  «aw  the  gold  sunshine  romul  your  lu.i.l .  ■    She  smiled  an 
ahn.-t  wild  smile  as  she  looked  up  at  him.    *    *    »  "Now-now 
von  are  come  a«  on.  hriuKint?  your  sheaves  with  you,  my  dear. 
She  In.rM  im.^  a  a  M  of  weepinK  a.  ^he  spoke;  she  laughed 

and  sohbe.l  on  the  y..ung  man-s  heart,  crying  out  wildly,  ••bnngmg 
your  sheaves  with  you-your  sheaves  with  youI*-(r*aft<Tay, 
Esmond,  Book  II,  ch.  vi.) 

7  •  I  remember  the  morning  on  which  I  came  out  of  my  room 
after  I  had  tirM  truMe.l  Cliri^t.  I  thought  the  -M  ^un  shone  a  good 
deal  brighter  than  n  ever  had  beiore-1  ih..uKlii  liiat  it  was  )Ust 
smiling  upon  me;  and  as  I  walked  out  upon  Boston  Common  an.l 
heard  the  birds  singing  in  the  trees,  I  thought  they  were  all  singing 


rHBOSEHUSURLUAM>  /  U  i.Vi  >  -V.V  /  ii  i'5.UA/  US 

never  cud  .ur  Uu-  U-(u  c.   ^  ,„,u.„u.u 

wiih  all  creation; -^\  o.-  >  V'        ,    /  ,,.jy  u  4i.) 

U.  The  UU  ol  U.  L.  ^l^^;        ;/  ;  j'  taught  for  this. 

8.  ••For  three  year*  we  ha.l  -u.        »  ■ 
A,  the  nuuncnt  when  1  put  the  ^'^•^^  ^  .  ...tch..!  ...u  t- 
„.K.c  stunud  «  uh  th.  blood  of  ^•«""'^';;  KcUvnur-.  love. 

„^e.vc  and  partake  tlu  -"'''-''V' "  .J"  *  •»  n  «h  hrokc  .«y  heart 
.  had  a  foreta^te  of  - 'X:".:  ^^'-^^^  ^ 
to  pieces.   '  ac»«i  .  ^j^j  ^  full  Ol 

JMopaphy,  and  part,  p.  aaj.). 


TEN  STUDIES  IX  THE  PSALMS 


PSALMS  t,  tt.  23.  .10.  48.  49.  sa.  m  91.  >a6 
Si  A I  NTH  Day  :  Brtiftt  of  tbf  Cf«  P««lM  Atlltrt 

I.  Has  the  Mudy  of  thc!>e  psalms  brought  any  conKkmt  gain  to 
your  itpiritual  life?   If  »o,  in  what  direction? 
J.  W  liat  is  it  that  givei  the  psahns  their  unique  place  in  reBfioui 

litf  ratiiri'  ? 

Mmtioii  some  f.f  the  broad  differences  between  the  psalms  and  a 

mndrrn  hymn-book. 
Which  hymns,  if  any.  do  yon  think  worthy  to  be  compared  with 

the  tH-.t  of  tlic  psalms?    (live  reasons  for  your  opinion. 

,V  Kecoiistruct,  so  far  a>i  ilie  iiiairrial  permits  it,  the  Hebrew  life 
which  is  the  background  of  tlu'^c  p-  ilins. 

4.  What  conception  of  God  unilcrlies  thcM'  psalms?  Is  Clod  as 
real  and  present  to  you  a*  the  psalmists  felt  him  to  be  to  them? 

5.  Can  you  appropriate  to  yourself  the  words  of  Psalm  2J?  If 
nut,  what  liiiult  rs  you  ? 

6.  Can  you  siisi.mi  ymtr  diipt-t  spiritual  life  on  the  psalms,  or 
do  you  miss  in  them  any  element  which  is  supplied  by  the  New 
Testament?  If  so,  what? 

7.  What  thoughts  do  these  psalms  suggest  abmtt  money,  work, 
faith,  hope,  joy,  persecution,  the  future? 

8.  Do  the  followMiK  word-  cotm'  home  to  you  with  more  power 
than  before  yuu  began  these  studies  in  the  psalms? 

(i)  On  his  law  doth  he  meditate  day  and  night. 

(ii)  Jehovah's  throne  is  in  heaven. 

(iii)  I  will  fear  no  evil. 

(iv)  My  hope  is  in  thee. 

(v)  Beautiful  is  Mount  Zion. 

(vi)  He  will  receive  me. 

(vii)  The  goodness  of  God  endureth  continually. 

(viii)  Teach  us  to  number  our  days. 

(ix)  He  will  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee. 

(x)  We  were  like  them  that  dream. 


